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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24601036">K.I.S.S - Keep It Simple, Stupid!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kassykins/pseuds/Kassykins'>Kassykins</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love? It's complicated [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempted Murder, BUT DOGS THO, F/M, Family Drama, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, NOT a fontcest story, Oh so much drama, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Robbery, Trauma Recovery, reader is in a wheelchair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:53:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>59,776</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24601036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kassykins/pseuds/Kassykins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been two months since your grandmother died, leaving you the large family home. Unfortunately, the lack of a stair lift limits you to the ground floor - the story of your life, stuck in this wheelchair - necessitating you to take in a couple of lodgers to keep the old place in one piece. Not everyone in the family was happy to be written out of her will, however, and they aren't going to take the snub lying down.</p>
<p>Papyrus of the Swapfell clan loves his little brother - he's sacrificed his entire life to keep him safe and fed, even to his own detriment. Now that things have calmed down, the true weight of past traumas are catching up with him. A change of pace, a new place to live, and new friends could be exactly what he needs to help him rebuild.</p>
<p>Sans of the Swapfell clan loves his older brother. Loves him in a way he knows a brother shouldn't. He's trying not to, but it's not as easy as all that. He's thrown himself into his work, hoping that long hours at the office will distract him from the problem, or at least help him meet someone he can transfer his affections to.</p>
<p>You all have problems, but you might just be able to find the solutions together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Love? It's complicated [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1321625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>250</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>219</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Keep it Casual</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Greetings, readers! What you have here is the last part of the Love? It's Complicated series. While it's not necessary to have read the other parts to understand this one, it's still recommended.</p>
<p>Those of you who have read it - welcome back! Here's that Swapfell bro's fic you were asking about!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You let out an almighty sigh, closing your laptop. It was a Saturday, you shouldn't even be looking at work emails. It seemed Gabby agreed, as she grabbed the strap attached to the back of your chair and pulled it back a couple of feet, away from your work desk.</p>
<p>“You're worse than grandma.” you told the dog, who just wagged her tail at you expectantly “Is it lunchtime?”</p>
<p>Gabby jumped a little, already half way to the kitchen before you had even turned the chair around. The golden Labrador was going to lose her mind later – today was the day your new tenants were going to be moving in, with all the fuss and bother that included. Brothers, if you recalled correctly. Gabby was too well trained not to behave herself, but you hoped the tenants liked dogs – you'd get rid of them long before you'd get rid of her, after all. The dog had already gathered everything needed before you got to the kitchen, putting her empty bowl in it's place on the mat, dragging the sealed bag of food beside it, and waiting for you with the scoop in her mouth. You gave her a scratch behind the ear as you took it, making sure to reseal the food bag properly once you had filled the bowl – well trained or not, she was still a dog.</p>
<p>Even though you'd been preparing all week, you still took a look around the kitchen to make sure the place was presentable. Sure, the estate agent had already shown the guys around the house, but you wanted to make a good impression, since you'd be living together. One last trip around wouldn't hurt... You left the kitchen when you were satisfied with how clean it was, checking out the hallway. The house was old – almost 100 years, if what your grandmother had told you was true – and had been in your family the entire time. You were thankful for its wide hallways, since you didn't have to worry about your wheelchair getting caught on corners or scraping up the wallpaper like it did in some of your friends places. Some of the furniture was almost as old as the house itself, especially the larger pieces. The only things that could be called new were in your room...</p>
<p>Your grandmother knew how to take good care of things, be they old furniture that had to last, or her grandchild after the accident that paralysed them from the waist down. You missed her. It had already been two months, but you still expected her to walk through the front door complaining about the queue at the supermarket, lively as a spring day.</p>
<p>Living room was clean enough, TV room was clean enough, dining room was clean enough. You took a look at the stairs, making sure they were clear of any clutter that could be tripped on. These damn things were the whole reason you even needed tenants in the first place – lacking a stair lift, you needed someone to keep up the rooms upstairs, make sure there weren't any patches of mould or leaking pipes, and you'd be damned if you were going to pay some service to ignore a problem once a month until it would cost you a fortune to fix.</p>
<p>You hated waiting around – it was the worst part of anything. Even though you wouldn't exactly be needed once your new tenants arrived, you still couldn't really get into anything until they did. You couldn't even take Gabby for a walk – even though the tenants had their own keys – because you should really be here to greet them! Fuck this so hard!</p>
<p>There was a sharp knock on the door, startling you out of your frustration. Gabby bounded up to the heavy old door, allowing you to unlock it before she pulled it open. On the other side was a short skeleton with bright purple eyelights, who looked surprised a moment before quickly accepting the scene before him. </p>
<p>Good afternoon.” he greeted, heels clicking in a military fashion “I'm Sans. I'm going to be your tenant starting today.”</p>
<p>You offered your hand as you introduced yourself, which he accepted. His leather gloves were soft with how worn in they were.</p>
<p>“And this one here is Gabby.” you told him “It's fine to play with her, but please don't distract her when she's working.”</p>
<p>“I'll be sure to tell my brother.” he swore “Everything ready for us?”</p>
<p>“Of course, let me just latch up the door.”</p>
<p>You had no idea why there was a hook latch on the back of the front door, but it had been there longer than you'd been alive, so you didn't think about it much. At least now you could stop bloody waiting! You set yourself up in the living room so you could watch the coming and going, Gabby laying down beside you. The moving truck outside wasn't overly big, since they only had a few rooms to furnish, but they had roped in a few friends to help them anyway. You were a little concerned when Sans and a large yellow lizard monster lugged an entire sofa up the stairs. </p>
<p>“Sans, you know you're welcome to use the lounge down here?” you made sure when he reappeared.</p>
<p>“Of course.” he said with a genial smile “We're just trying to save ourselves some money in storage fees.”</p>
<p>The lizard monster snorted, tapping the skeleton on the top of his head with her claw.</p>
<p>“'Sans'.” she teased.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, your new tenant blushed, whole face turning purple.</p>
<p>“It <em>is</em> my name.” he replied through gritted teeth, swatting her hand away.</p>
<p>“Sure, <em>Sans</em>.” she went on “Whatever you say, <em>Sans</em>.”</p>
<p>“Baby, don't tease.” a skinny, red haired fish monster scolded lightly as she bought in a few small boxes, even as she tried not to laugh.</p>
<p>“Thank you, Undyne.” Sans sighed, going back out to get more furniture.</p>
<p>It was about half an hour before you met the other brother – at over six foot tall, he was very different looking to Sans, but still undoubtedly a skeleton – and the second you saw him, his face immediately lit up with a restrained excitement that you knew very well, having seen it on the face of every child you ever knew.</p>
<p>“Yes, you can pet her.” you told him.</p>
<p>“oh thank god!” he declared, throwing his boxes to the ground to fuss over Gabby, who was more than happy that someone was finally paying attention to her.</p>
<p>“You owe me dinner, Alphys.” Sans said humourlessly when he saw his brother, still on the floor with the dog.</p>
<p>“When you're right, you're right.” the lizard monster sighed “One and a half boxes. That's a new record.”</p>
<p>“You've probably guessed, but this is my brother.” Sans told you “His name is Papyrus, but please call him Rus. We had him unpacking the van to prevent this... guess these are the last boxes.”</p>
<p>“They are.” the woman you recalled was Undyne confirmed, holding up what it was safe to assume were the vans keys “All locked up.”</p>
<p>“Right!” Alphys declared, punching her hand “Babe, you order the 'za, me and Black will get the big stuff in place so these punks can unpack.”</p>
<p>“Pizza?” Sans objected “You don't get to be cheap just because you lost.”</p>
<p>“It's moving day!” she argued “You have to have pizza! It's the <em>law</em>!”</p>
<p>“It's the law.” Undyne agreed, already having booted up the app before she turned to you “Do you have any allergies?”</p><hr/>
<p>The sun was starting to set as you sat around the living room, pile of pizza boxes on the coffee table between you. When they turned up you thought there had been a mistake, but it seemed Alphys and Sans were big eaters.</p>
<p><em>Very</em> big eaters.</p>
<p>Ten pizza's between them.</p>
<p>Sure, Alphys had bulk, but Sans was literally a skeleton... where was he putting it?</p>
<p>“So what brings you here?” you asked between mouthfuls “To the area, I mean?”</p>
<p>“A regional commander position came up.” Sans told you “I'm getting a little old to be on the front line, and we have family close by.”</p>
<p>“You're in the guard?”</p>
<p>“Is that a problem?”</p>
<p>“Not on it's own.” you assured “I just don't allow weapons in the house.”</p>
<p>“Neither do we.” he replied quickly (a little too quickly...) “Rest assured, I won't be bringing my work home with me.”</p>
<p>“What about you?” you asked Rus “What do you do?”</p>
<p>“i'm between jobs.” he shrugged.</p>
<p>“But you don't need to worry about the rent.” Sans was quick to add.</p>
<p>“I'm not worried.” you replied “He can always do some work around here in the meantime.”</p>
<p>“Is that the catch?” Undyne asked, leaning forward like she had finally solved the mystery.</p>
<p>“Catch?” you repeated.</p>
<p>“C'mon,” she went on “Big house, good neighbourhood, a walk away from a supermarket and train station, and you're asking next to nothing in rent! You have to be up to something!”</p>
<p>You couldn't help but chuckle – she was pretty smart.</p>
<p>“You got me.” you replied, holding up your hands “My great-great grandparents built this place, and my great grandparents paid off the mortgage, so I only need to worry about the bills. I'm as independent as I can be, but there are still a few things I'm going to need help with, like cutting the grass and painting the outside of the house.”</p>
<p>“And it's not a catch.” Sans defended as he popped open a beer “The estate agent told us about it ahead of time. I take no issue helping keep the place I reside in nice, even if it is only temporary.”</p>
<p>“A lot of the places around here are old.” you pointed out “Even if you find a place to buy in six months, you might not be able to move in right away.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god, stop <em>communicating</em> already!” Undyne cried, throwing herself back against the sofa “You're ruining any chance of dramatic misunderstanding's here!”</p>
<p>“thank the stars.” Rus finished.</p>
<p>Undyne replied by hitting him with a cushion, making everyone laugh.</p>
<p>After a while, once all the pizza was gone, Alphys and Undyne excused themselves to go home, and the boys went upstairs to keep unpacking. You continued with your usual Saturday night routine until it was time for bed, using the patio doors beside your dressing table to let Gabby out to do her business one last time. A concern pulled at the back on your mind. It wasn't that you didn't want to trust the boys, but they were literally strangers at this point, and it was better safe than sorry, right? The deadbolt on the door hadn't been used in a long time, and was stiff to slide into place, but you managed it. Once you got to know the boys better and were sure you wouldn't need it, you'd stop locking it at night. You called Gabby in, locked the patio doors, and went to bed.</p><hr/>
<p>You were lingering on the line between sleep and waking when a sharp knock on your bedroom door pulled you firmly into the latter. Gabby's head was up and looking at it right away, while your mind took a little longer to recognise what was happening. It wasn't until another knock on the door that you found your voice.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” you called.</p>
<p>“I'm making breakfast.” Sans replied from the other side “What would you like?”</p>
<p>Not a request, huh? The light through the curtains was still dim, so you took a look at the time on your phone.</p>
<p>“It's six in the morning!” you whined.</p>
<p>“Yes?” Sans replied.</p>
<p>“It's Sunday!”</p>
<p>“... Yes?”</p>
<p>Oh god, the worst possible kind of housemate – <em>a morning person</em>.</p>
<p>“Do you prefer sweet or savoury for breakfast?” he went on “My brother prefers sweet, but I know that's not for everyone.”</p>
<p>He was definitely not going to go away, was he?</p>
<p>“It's a little early for sweet.” you replied.</p>
<p>“Noted. I'll start soon, so please come join us when you're ready.”</p>
<p>How did such a small man stomp his feet so loudly? You wanted to go back to sleep, but he was going to the effort to make you breakfast, it would be more than rude of you to let it go cold. With a deep sigh, you threw back your covers, grabbed your chair, and got on with your morning routine.</p>
<p>By the time you got to the kitchen, Rus was sat at the small round breakfast table, but truth be told he still looked asleep, eyes closed and head nodding dangerously. Sans was bustling around the countertops still, sparing Gabby a confused look as she got her bowl and bag of food, before he turned to you.</p>
<p>“Good morning!” he greeted “Did you sleep well?”</p>
<p>“I slept okay. You going for a run?” you asked, noting his lycra running outfit.</p>
<p>“Been and come back.” he smirked “It's a good way to get to know the neighbourhood. I've already found some interesting places around here! For example-!”</p>
<p>You listened politely as he prattled on. It seemed he liked to talk. He was a good multitasker, though, as he finished breakfast, laid the table, and smacked his brother awake as he did so, dishing up a veritable banquet of food. Before his brother he put an absolute doorstop of pancakes, while you got eggs, toast, buttered mushrooms, sausages, and beans. Not quite a full English, but not far off, and way more than you'd usually eat. Nothing compared to the mountain in front of him, however... </p>
<p>“Wow, this looks amazing!” you complimented “Thanks for the treat.”</p>
<p>“You're very welcome.” he smirked “I am an excellent cook! And I don't consider it a treat – eating together is important for the unity of any household, in my opinion.”</p>
<p>You weren't sure how he could eat so much and talk so much at the same time, but somehow the skeleton managed it. Rus woke up enough to drown his pancakes in golden syrup and pick at them, eating maybe one and a half in the time it took both you and Sans to finish. The taller brother took his plate as if to scrape the rest into the bin, only for Sans to grab his wrist.</p>
<p>“None of us are leaving the table until you finish.” he said with authority.</p>
<p>“... yes, m'lord.” Rus replied, sitting back down.</p>
<p>Sans continued talking like nothing had happened, while Rus stepped up his efforts to clear his plate. You'd never seen that kind of scolding outside of children refusing to finish their vegetables, but you didn't find it funny. You might have to keep an eye on that... Then again, Rus was very thin, especially for a grown man...</p>
<p>“Ah, but I've talked too long!” Sans declared, snapping you out of your thoughts “I need to take a shower and head to the office.”</p>
<p>“It's Sunday.” you pointed out.</p>
<p>“don't fight him on this.” Rus advised with a smile.</p>
<p>“Yes, don't you start!” Sans agreed, taking a moment to clear the table “I already took yesterday off, I need to catch up on what I missed.”</p>
<p>“You were moving, though?”</p>
<p>Rus snorted, quickly hiding it behind his hand and looking away as his brother gave him a filthy look.</p>
<p>“You sound like Alphys.” he told you “'<em>Oh my god, you're taking a day off, that's soooo unlike you</em>.' She thinks she's sooo funny.”</p>
<p>And he was off again, continuing to rant about how absolutely not funny Alphys was even as he left the room and went upstairs to change.</p>
<p>“Does he know we can't hear him anymore?” you joked.</p>
<p>“nah,” Rus chuckled “he'll come downstairs when he leaves and he'll still be talking as if we were listening the whole time.”</p>
<p>You both had a laugh before you left the table. Since you were up anyway, you might as well take Gabby for her walk.</p>
<p>“the supermarket is pretty close, right?” Rus asked, still seated.</p>
<p>“About a ten minute walk.” you confirmed.</p>
<p>“think you could show me where?”</p>
<p>You knew enough about psychology to know he was asking for company, not directions, but you didn't mind – if these guys were going to be living here, you wanted to be good friends with them.</p>
<p>“It won't be open for a little while yet.” you told him “Sunday and all. It should be open by the time I'm done with Gabby's walk, if you want to come along.”</p>
<p>That got his attention, as he immediately perked up.</p>
<p>“okay, cool.” he agreed, getting up “gimme a shout when you're ready, i'll pull my shoes on.”</p>
<p>Pull his shoes on was literally all he did, as by the time you were ready to go, he came downstairs in the same tatty clothes he had come to breakfast in. He watched you closely as you strapped up Gabby's harness, pausing just long enough for you both to bid Sans goodbye.</p>
<p>“so, does gabby always need the harness?” he asked “like if it was just her and me? can I take her out on my own? do you need her all the time?”</p>
<p>“Not when I'm at home.” you confirmed “The harness is just to let people know she's working so they shouldn't pet her.”</p>
<p>“so it's evil.” he said completely seriously, making you laugh again.</p>
<p>The dog park you took Gabby to was fifteen minutes from the house, but it was the best one in the area, with lots of trees to drop branches and squirrels to chase. Rus looked like he was having more fun than Gabby was, playing fetch and running around the open field with her. It was while into watching them that you noticed the small group on the other side of the field – whispering to each other and hiding wide grins behind their hands as they stared at him, it seemed your new tenant already had a fanclub. Gabby knew when she'd had enough, trotting back over to you with a heavy pant before pulling the water bottle and bowl from the bag on the back of your chair to give to you.</p>
<p>“Did you notice?” you asked Rus.</p>
<p>“notice?” he repeated, cocking his head as he sat on the bench beside you.</p>
<p>“Two o'clock.”</p>
<p>His head whipped around so fast it was a little jarring, shoulders tense for a moment, before relaxing.</p>
<p>“oh, them.” he said as he turned back to you “yeah, I noticed. that happens sometimes.”</p>
<p>“'That happens sometimes.'” you quoted “Must be nice to be good looking!”</p>
<p>“it has it's perks.” he smirked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pack of cigarettes.</p>
<p>“And so humble too.”</p>
<p>When Gabby had rested enough to walk back, you sauntered back the way you had come. Despite his long legs, Rus wasn't a fast walker, and was happy to slouch along at your pace as you passed by houses and gardens on you way home.</p>
<p>“So, which of you is older?” you asked.</p>
<p>“guess.”</p>
<p>“I'm guessing Sans.”</p>
<p>“you guess wrong. man, it's so weird hearing him called that.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, Alphys said something like that.” you recalled “So it's true all monsters have two names?”</p>
<p>“yup.”</p>
<p>“What's up with that?”</p>
<p>“eh,” Rus shrugged, taking a drag before answering “it's like, a formal name and a personal name, i guess. the formal name you get from your family when you're born, then the personal name you figure out for yourself as you get older... I think that's the easiest way of putting it.”</p>
<p>“So, 'Rus'?”</p>
<p>“what can i say, i'm not very imaginative.” he shrugged again “my bro can be awkward with people he doesn't know... and people he does. we've known alph and 'dyne for years, but he still calls them by their formal names.”</p>
<p>“That's weird,” you noted, stopping on the pavement and waiting for the light to turn “He introduced himself as Sans, but he asked me to call you Rus.”</p>
<p>Even from so far below his face, you could see the skeleton blush, looking away from you a little.</p>
<p>“that's... well...” he started “it's kinda like saying... 'please be his friend'... i guess...”</p>
<p>That was so ridiculously cute, you wanted to literally squee. You kept it in like a champ, instead putting on your best shit-eating grin.</p>
<p>“Are you sure you're the older brother?” you teased.</p>
<p>“yeah, yeah.” he chuckled self-consciously, crushing his spent butt under his foot “call him 'black' when he gets home, see who's the older one then.”</p>
<p>“Black? Seriously? Did he have an edgy phase as a teenager?”</p>
<p>It was Rus's turn to grin, so wide you were almost sure it would break his face.</p>
<p>“we have a cousin called 'edge'.”</p>
<p>“You're kidding!”</p>
<p>As well as loving dogs, Rus was easy to talk to – it seemed you had lucked out on the whole tenant thing, at least from what you could tell so far. Maybe when they found a place to buy and moved out, the three of you could keep being friends. You hoped so. Despite your best efforts, you were starting to feel pretty isolated.</p>
<p>Getting to the crossroads, you stopped, pointing down the hill to the large building at the bottom.</p>
<p>“That's the supermarket.” you pointed out “Difficult to miss, huh?”</p>
<p>“cool.” Rus noted, taking a few steps down the hill before noticing you weren't following “are you coming with?”</p>
<p>Your fingers tapped awkwardly on the arm of your chair. You supposed able-bodied people didn't think about stuff like this.</p>
<p>“This hill is steep, I don't want to wear my breaks out.” you explained “And the pavement's very uneven, so I don't have good control. I don't want to... fall out.”</p>
<p>“oh.”</p>
<p>“Yeah. There's a better way down, but it's about five minutes longer.”</p>
<p>“ah.”</p>
<p>He walked the few steps back up the hill, putting his hands in his pockets as he waited for you lead on.</p>
<p>“It's literally right there.” you pointed out “You don't need to take the long way on my account.”</p>
<p>“i know.” he shrugged, but still didn't move.</p>
<p>He had wanted the company, after all, otherwise he just would have found the directions online.</p>
<p>“Alright, this way.” you beckoned, grabbing your wheels “And be prepared to see the biggest hydrangea you've ever seen in your life.”</p>
<p>“i dunno, i've seen some big bushes.”</p>
<p>You arrived at the supermarket before you knew it, Rus still losing his mind over how big the hydrangea had actually been. There was a short queue at the front door, waiting for them to be unlocked.</p>
<p>“it was several, right?” Rus insisted “that was not one plant!”</p>
<p>“It was one.” you swore.</p>
<p>“you're lying!”</p>
<p>“I'm not!” you laughed “They planted it when I was a kid, it's been growing ever since.”</p>
<p>“was that a hundred years ago?! no way it grew that big in a decade!”</p>
<p>With a stretch of his shoulders, Rus leaned against the wall, looking at the line you now stood at the back of. “still early, huh?”</p>
<p>“Probably for the best.” you told him “I like to get in and out before the after-church crowd. Those people are savages.”</p>
<p>“same shit, different town.” he chuckled.</p>
<p>The doors were soon opened, and Rus grabbed a small trolley before sauntering in.</p>
<p>“Anything in particular you're after?” you asked as you followed.</p>
<p>“this and that.” he shrugged “my bro prefers certain things, y'know... why are you behind me?”</p>
<p>“'Cause we'll take up the whole aisle otherwise.” you pointed out “Between the trolley, the chair and the dog, no-one could get around us.”</p>
<p>“in that case...” Rus said awkwardly, turning to face you properly “would you mind staying in front of me? people being behind me makes me uncomfortable.”</p>
<p>“Sure.” you shrugged, since it was all the same to you “But hey, don't worry about getting anything big – I get a delivery every other week, I can just add it on to that.”</p>
<p>“noted.”</p>
<p>Rus pulled a list from his pocket, but seemed to be in no great rush to fill it, shuffling around in his own time. You spent the longest in the sweets and bakery aisles, where he deliberated very carefully on what to buy before settling on all of it.</p>
<p>“Sweet fiend.” you noted “Guess I have to hide my chocolate from you, huh?”</p>
<p>“you can try.” he challenged.</p>
<p>When you arrived at the till, Rus's trolley was piled high enough that you were a little concerned how you were going to get it home without a vehicle. From his coat pockets, the skeleton pulled out around ten fabric tote bags, which he filled like a tetris master, before balancing five on each of his shoulders. You didn't realise exactly how bad he was slouching until he stood up straight and squared his shoulders up – he looked a lot more like a soldier than his brother did, and it was just a little bit intimidating. By the time you were done, the after-church crowd had arrived in full force, and were passive-aggressively cutting each other off and stealing each others parking spaces.</p>
<p>“Good timing.” you thought “Up for some lunch when we get back? I'm usually having breakfast around now, so...”</p>
<p>“still full from those pancakes.” Rus admitted as you walked through the parking lot “i have a little more unpacking to do, anyway.”</p>
<p>Your conversation was cut short when you got to the alley between two rows of houses, which you needed to pass through to get back up the hill – some asshole had parked their car right across it, blocking the whole thing.</p>
<p>“Fucking pricks!” you swore before you could stop yourself “You too good to park in the fucking supermarket like everyone else?!”</p>
<p>Rus chuckled, reminding you that you had company.</p>
<p>“ok, how felonious are you feeling?” he asked.</p>
<p>“...Why?” you asked carefully.</p>
<p>“because there's two options.” he told you “we either move the car, or we get you up the pain-in-the-ass hill. one of those options is more legally questionable than the other.”</p>
<p>UGH, you hated it when people had to push your chair, but god only knew when the owners of the car would come back... and you did kind of want to key it. Then again, how even would Rus move it?</p>
<p>“You think you can manage the hill?” you asked.</p>
<p>Rus just shrugged.</p>
<p>“You'll probably regret it.” you warned him.</p>
<p>“we'll see.” he shrugged again.</p>
<p>“Alright.” you sighed “I swear, people parking on the pavement are the bane of my existence.”</p>
<p>“i can imagine.” Rus agreed, taking his phone from his pocket and snapping a picture of the offending vehicle.</p>
<p>You imagined he was going to put it on social media and have a rant about it. You'd done that yourself a few times.</p>
<p>“think you can hold these?” he asked you, gesturing to the fabric bags he had slung over his shoulders.</p>
<p>“If you can push me up that hill, I can hold anything you like.”</p>
<p>“famous last words.” he teased.</p>
<p>He handed you the bags carefully. Even with the limited feeling you had in your lap, you could tell they were heavy as fuck, but you weren't in any position to complain.</p>
<p>“Alright, ready when you are.”</p>
<p>“cool.”</p>
<p>With no further ceremony, Rus grabbed the handles on the back of the chair and started to push. You really didn't like it, but you kept your mouth shut and held onto the bags as best you could, Gabby trotting happily beside you.</p>
<p>Rus didn't need to stop once. He didn't misstep or stumble, he didn't even try to swerve away from where the roots of trees were pushing up through the tarmac, and before you knew it you were at the top of the hill.</p>
<p>“You're pretty strong, huh?” you noted.</p>
<p>“i guess.” he replied, pushing you far enough from the crest that you weren't in danger of rolling back down “want me to take those bags... are you okay?!”</p>
<p>“Hm?”</p>
<p>Concern crossed his face as Rus knelt down, putting the back of his fingers against your forehead.</p>
<p>“you've gone pale.” he told you “and your pupils have shrunk. what happened?”</p>
<p>Your heart was thumping uncomfortably too, but you didn't bring that up, smiling in a way you hoped was comforting.</p>
<p>“It's nothing.” you assured “I just... I really hate being pushed. I hate not being in control of the chair, you know?”</p>
<p>“but... you let me...?” he puzzled.</p>
<p>“Needs must.” you replied lamely “I don't always have a choice.”</p>
<p>Rus gave you a serious look, but let the matter lie there, taking his bags from you and slinging them back over his shoulders like they weighed nothing at all.</p>
<p>“so how often does gabby get walked?” he asked, a change of subject you were happy to allow as you continued along the path home.</p><hr/>
<p>It was late when Sans arrived home, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked into the kitchen. As expected, there was a lot of paperwork involved in his new position, and his predecessor had left it in a bad state. Nothing a little overtime for a few weeks couldn't solve, but it was surprisingly draining.</p>
<p>“Hey,” you greeted from the sink, startling him a little “Good day at work?”</p>
<p>“Adequate.” he replied, recovering quickly “Where's Rus?”</p>
<p>“Unpacking.” you told him, rinsing off the dish you were washing and placing it in the rack to dry “Or maybe sleeping, I'm not sure.”</p>
<p>“Most likely the latter.” he knew “You've eaten already?”</p>
<p>“We have. Yours is in the fridge.”</p>
<p>“You made me dinner?”</p>
<p>“You made me breakfast, it seemed fair.”</p>
<p>Sans looked at you in disbelief before going over to the fridge and pulling out the covered plate. It was just spaghetti carbonara, but it looked pretty good.</p>
<p>“I... really don't expect you to do things for me.” he assured you.</p>
<p>“Well, you started it.” you reminded him.</p>
<p>He was dumbfounded. It was only natural for him to make you breakfast, since he was up first, and even though you seemed pretty nice, you still owned the house and all...</p>
<p>“Thank you.” he settled on, pulling off the cover to microwave it “Did my brother watch you make it?”</p>
<p>“Like a hawk. Do you have a lot of allergies?”</p>
<p>“Something like that.” he confirmed quietly.</p>
<p>An uncomfortable silence fell as you finished the dishes, and he waited for the ding-box to do it's work. He wasn't as good at keeping a conversation going as his brother was, and he didn't want to say the wrong thing because he was tired.</p>
<p>“Hey,” you said to get his attention “How do you feel about me calling you Black?”</p>
<p>The clattering as he dropped his cutlery no doubt gave you a pretty good idea how he'd feel. You turned around to find him wiping them off on his shirt, face no doubt lit up bright purple.</p>
<p>“What, exactly, did my brother say about it?” he asked, not looking at you.</p>
<p>“Nothing in particular.” you promised “Just that 'Sans' is your formal name.”</p>
<p>“It's... a little more complicated than that.” he said “Sometimes the 'formal' name can be more intimate than the nickname...”</p>
<p>“I'll call you whatever you prefer.” you promised, which only made his face heat up further.</p>
<p>“... You can call me Black if you want...”</p>
<p>The microwave dinged, saving him further blushes.</p>
<p>“I'm a little tired.” he confessed as he took it out “I might just eat this upstairs, if that's okay.”</p>
<p>“That'll happen when you don't take any days off.” you teased “But suit yourself. Goodnight, I guess.”</p>
<p>“Goodnight.” he echoed, proceeding quickly up the stairs with his pasta.</p>
<p>Rus was indeed in his half-unpacked room, slouched on his bed (still fully dressed), half-heartedly reading a book.</p>
<p>“hey, bro.” he greeted, looking over but not getting up “good day at work?”</p>
<p>“Good enough.” he confirmed “How was your day?”</p>
<p>“peaceful.” he shrugged.</p>
<p>“Glad to hear it. I'm going to turn in once I've eaten.”</p>
<p>“so, that car?”</p>
<p>“Toed and crushed.”</p>
<p>“harsh.” Rus laughed, giving his brother a wicked grin “oh, i got that tea you like. it's in the cupboard.”</p>
<p>“Thank you. Goodnight, brother.”</p>
<p>“'night, bro.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Keep it Talking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"... Should I be concerned that you're on the floor?"</p><p>You looked up from the mat to see Black looking down at you, one hand on the handle of your office door. His face was a picture of conflict, torn between being concerned and not being able to read the situation before him.</p><p>"Just doing my physio." you reassured him, pointing out the various straps you had in arms reach.</p><p>"Alone?" he questioned.</p><p>"Grandma got pretty weak towards the end, so I got used to doing it on my own. What's up?"</p><p>"Just looking for my brother. Is he home?"</p><p>"He took Gabby for a walk."</p><p>"Of course he did." Black smirked fondly "I was hoping to catch him before I went back to work..."</p><p>"So you didn't come home last night." you noted.</p><p>You were surprised when he flinched at the accusation, not able to look you in the eye.</p><p>"There's... a lot to learn in my new post..." he excused, turning back carefully "Did my brother notice?"</p><p>"If he did, he didn't say anything." you told him "We've hardly seen you this past week and a half, y'know."</p><p>"... Like I said. Lots to learn."</p><p>You knew evasion when you saw it, but you didn't know Black well enough to press the issue yet. You weren't going to use the brief time he was home to give him a hard time, anyway.</p><p>As you pulled yourself back into your chair, Black kept his eyes glued on the wall of folders and box files beside your computer. Was he actually curious, or did he just feel awkward watching you get back up?</p><p>"I never asked," he pondered "What exactly do you do for a living?"</p><p>"Have you heard of Silent Scream?" you asked.</p><p>"The crisis line people?" he clarified, looking back at you "Yeah?"</p><p>"I work for them." you elaborated "I'm a paralegal."</p><p>"Oh." Black exclaimed like that explained everything, regarding your wall of files again briefly "Ever think of taking the leap up to lawyer?"</p><p>"Too much travel." you admitted "And trying to keep a suit from getting wrinkled is a pain in the ass when you're in a chair. Kind of a requirement in court."</p><p>"I can imagine."</p><p>"Want to get some lunch while you're here? I was going to make noodles."</p><p>Black opened his mouth to refuse, but seemed to think better of it, forcing on a friendly smile.</p><p>"Food always tastes better with company." he decided.</p><p>The younger brother was much harder to read than Rus was. The few times he had been home since the guys had moved in, you had caught him going against his first instinct more than once. You could imagine he was kind of stressed - new job, new house, new area - but you weren't quite sure that was the issue. You kept chatting was you cooked together - while you had intended on just putting the packet of powder in the noodles and calling it good, Black went ahead and cut up vegetables to include, even pulling some ham from the fridge. At least you knew he was eating well, if nothing else.</p><p>"Does Silent Scream get a lot of steady work?" he asked.</p><p>"Unfortunately." you sighed "You know that town in the valleys? The one where the famine survivors live?"</p><p>"... I'm familiar."</p><p>"Well it's become something of a mecca for abuse survivors." you told him as you took the noodles from the stove and drained them "Beaten spouses, abused children, former soldiers... they're flocking to the place. We've had to open a physical branch just to deal with them all."</p><p>"Really?" Black pondered "Why there of all places?"</p><p>"My theory?" you supposed "It's out of the way, it's quiet, and so many of the locals already have PTSD that they can probably find someone who knows what they're going through."</p><p>"It won't stay quiet if that keeps up..." </p><p>"The relocation team is doing what it can, but it's rushed off it's feet." you confirmed.</p><p>"Are there many new cases from within the area?"</p><p>The way he said it gave you pause. He wasn't looking at you as he laid the table - more classic evasion. This one, for professional reasons if nothing else, you couldn't quite let lie.</p><p>"Why?" you asked.</p><p>That got him to look at you, his pupils almost owlish for a moment before constricting again.</p><p>"It's a part of my job." he excused "Keeping the peace. Especially where former soldiers are concerned. As a member of the guard, I need to make sure we're taking care of our veterans."</p><p>Even he seemed to realise how hollow that sounded, as he once again looked away from you. More evasion...</p><p>Great, now things were awkward. What was the best way to end this conversation that wouldn't lead to an argument?</p><p>"To be honest, there's very little I can actually tell you." you said, which wasn't totally a lie "For legal reasons. But if you want, I can give you the number of our regional manager so you can discuss it with her."</p><p>"I would appreciate that."</p><p>You fell into silence once again as you ate, but it wasn't as awkward as it could have been. Rus had mentioned he was awkward around people, and boy were you feeling it today...</p><p>"Is he eating?"</p><p>It was your turn to look up. Black distractedly fiddled with his noodles, still not meeting your eye.</p><p>"Say again?" you asked.</p><p>"My brother." he clarified "Is he eating? He's not very good at taking care of himself."</p><p>"As far as I'm aware." you told him "He tends to hang out in his room when I'm working." </p><p>"I'm sorry to be unreasonable, but would you mind making sure? I mean, would you have at least one meal a day with him?"</p><p>"... You could make sure yourself if you were home more often."</p><p>Black winced at that, but he didn't argue, busying himself with his noodles. The second he was finished, he stood up and took his bowl to the sink.</p><p>"I should take a shower before going back to work." he verbalised.</p><p>"Hey." you called, waiting until he was looking at you before saying anything else "You ever heard the phrase 'stress casualty'?"</p><p>"Can't say that I have." he sighed.</p><p>"Look it up." you advised "It's relevant to your interests."</p><p>He gave you a searching look for a moment, but seemed to accept what you said at face value, giving you a short nod before walking away.</p><hr/><p>"are you ready?"</p><p>"Yup."</p><p>"are you sure?"</p><p>"Let's do it!"</p><p>"i'm grabbing the chair."</p><p>"Totally prepared!"</p><p>Despite your assurance, you still grabbed the armrests firmly as Rus started to push you over the grass. He'd cut the lawn back as far as it would go, but you still felt every sod and stone on the uneven ground as he wheeled you around the side of the house. Waiting for you was the painting material to cover the outer wall, complete with a couple of rollers on long poles. Rus had already done one of the outer walls, but it was such a lovely day that it seemed like a waste not to help out.</p><p>"that close enough?" he asked, parking you towards the middle of the wall.</p><p>"I think so." you supposed "Just don't move the tray too far."</p><p>"kay."</p><p>He handed you one of the rollers, lighting up a cigarette before he got to work. Being so tall, it was easy for him to reach the upper edge of the first floor windows with help of the pole. You concentrated on the lower part of the wall, while Gabby busied herself chasing butterflies and other buzzing insects.</p><p>"Think we'll need a ladder?" you asked after a while, since even Rus could reach right up to the roof.</p><p>"nah." he supposed "check it out."</p><p>He get go of the pole, and to your surprise it stayed exactly where it was. After a brief moment of rattling, it actually went higher, spreading the paint all the way up to the roof tiles.</p><p>"Son of a bitch." you gasped "That's useful!"</p><p>"sure is." he agreed "want to take a break when this wall's done?"</p><p>"Sure - I could use a drink anyway."</p><p>Once the wall was fully coated, you made a valiant effort to return yourself to the paved front of the house, only for your wheels to either skid in place or not move at all. Every time, you thought it couldn't possibly have been as hard to move on grass as you remembered, and every time you were wrong. In the end, you gave up and let Rus push you back.</p><p>"Gabby!" you called to get the dogs attention "Post!"</p><p>The girl leapt up at the command, going to the post box and nosing open the back to get the letters inside, before she followed the two of you into the house.</p><p>"I've got lemonade or ice tea." you pointed out "What's your poison?"</p><p>"think I'll go for tea." Rus supposed, stretching out before sitting himself at the table.</p><p>"You want a snack?"</p><p>"nah."</p><p>"You sure? I didn't see you eat breakfast."</p><p>"you sound like my brother." Rus chuckled.</p><p>"Not an accident." you confessed, putting the glasses in your lap and moving to the fridge for the pitcher "He asked me to make sure you were eating regularly."</p><p>Rus didn't answer right away. He even seemed a little annoyed, chewing the end of his cigarette.</p><p>"when did you see him?" he asked.</p><p>"The other day, when you took Gabby out." you confessed, giving him his tea "He was gone again by the time you came back."</p><p>"hm."</p><p>Rus took the post from Gabby, fussing over her a second before sorting through it.</p><p>"my brother worries too much." he said, but didn't elaborate further.</p><p>"Speaking of..." you started carefully, taking a sip of your drink before placing it on the table "Is your brother... okay?"    </p><p>"what do you mean?" Rus asked, immediately on the defensive.</p><p>"Well, he's almost never home." you pointed out "And when he is he seems... overly guarded, I guess? I get being awkward with people you don't know well, but I get the feeling that's not it."</p><p>"oh." Rus replied, relaxing "that."</p><p>He took a moment to pick his words, stubbing out his cigarette.</p><p>"y'know," he started "him and me are fells, right?"</p><p>"Fells?" you echoed "Isn't that one of the violent clans?"</p><p>Rus just nodded. Behind his lazy eyes, you could tell he was judging your reaction.</p><p>"I wouldn't have guessed." you replied honestly "You don't give off a 'dangerous' vibe at all."</p><p>That seemed to be the answer he wanted, as he gave you a soft, genuine smile.</p><p>"we're trying." he admitted "it's difficult to unlearn all that. m'lord's always been more impulsive than me, so he's finding it harder to adjust. plus it's his first time working alone since I retired."</p><p>"Retired?" you noted "I thought you were just unemployed?"</p><p>"medically retired." he admitted "ptsd. i powered through as far as I could, but-"</p><p>"Papyrus," you almost scolded "You 'power through' a hangover, not a trauma."</p><p>The skeleton gave you that fond smile again, even laughing a little.</p><p>"you sound like a good friend of mine." he told you "they're the one who made me realise i couldn't do it anymore. then the bastard went and made me their kids godfather and gave me something else to live for."</p><p>"How selfish." you joked.</p><p>"i know, right?" he deadpanned "but yeah... we're still adjusting. trying to be better. it's easier said than done, y'know? just be a little patient with my brother."</p><p>You could sympathise. Sudden, catastrophic change and the consequences thereof was something you knew a thing or two about.</p><p>"Alright," you conceded "For you, I'll show your brother some patience. And for him, I'll make sure you actually eat a meal once a day. Deal?"</p><p>"deal." Rus chuckled, handing you your portion of the post "i look forward to our passive-aggressive back-and-forth until the day you give up."</p><p>"Don't underestimate how stubborn I am." you warned him.</p><p>"ready to get back to work?"</p><p>"Let me use the bathroom," you said "I'll catch up with you."</p><p>On the way to your en suite, you stopped by your office door to drop the post in your in-tray. Bill, bill, bill, something about pensions, something about your grandmothers estate and... ah.</p><p>The name and address on the envelope was handwritten, but it bore no stamp or other sign of postage. The letter was thin, and you recognised the writing even at a glance. You threw it in the bin, unopened, and thought nothing more about it.</p><hr/><p>Black had been ordered home. Word had travelled to General Alphys about the crazy amounts of overtime he was doing, and she wasn't having that in peacetime. He was now well ahead of where he needed to be, his predecessor not being nearly as far behind as he had hoped. While she could order him out of the office, short of escorting him back to the house herself, she couldn't order him to go home, hence why the diminutive skeleton was sat in the park at close to one in the morning, tracing patterns in the dirt with his foot as he sat idly on the swing.</p><p>You see, Black had a problem, but it wasn't one of the many problems people assumed he had.</p><p>Not that he would ever admit what that problem was.</p><p>If he thought about it, that made it real, right? He was the only one who knew about it, so if he didn't acknowledge it then it wouldn't be real, and it would disappear, right?</p><p>Yeah, right.</p><p>He was coping with the problem exactly as well as that mindset would suggest.</p><p>He couldn't even talk to his brother about this. He could <em>never</em> talk to his brother about it. </p><p>For the first time in his life, he was truly alone.</p><p>And he was drowning. This problem was too big for him alone. As much as he had always liked to think he could handle anything, it was becoming clear to him that he could only handle anything when his brother was with him. And he wasn't.</p><p>(He was, though. All he had to do was reach out and-)</p><p>He pushed the thought down. He wouldn't. He would <em>never</em>. </p><p>Black was tired, right down to his bones. Heh, Papy would have liked that one. He would probably be asleep already, and it wouldn't kill Black to get a good nights rest. </p><p>He couldn't believe how heavy his shoulders were, how sluggish his movements, as he passed through the layers to get back home.</p><p>Appearing at the front door, he briefly noted that the light in the front room was on as he unlocked it.</p><p>"Evening." you called as he entered the house, looking up from your book "Or, 'morning', I guess."</p><p>Even the dog looked up at him. Oh stars, he didn't have the energy for this. He didn't have the energy to be 'okay'.</p><p>"Are you okay?" you asked immediately, putting your book down with obvious concern.</p><p>You said it. You said it immediately. How bad did he have to look that you noticed right away?</p><p>"Of course." he replied, far too quietly even for his own liking.</p><p>"... Are you sure?"</p><p>Stars, why couldn't he see? Everything was blurry... His throat stung to the point of agony. He covered his mouth with his hand as the first sob threatened to escape, exhausted brain trying desperately to control itself and failing. He barely felt warm hands taking his own before he gave up completely.</p><hr/><p>He hadn't cried, but he hadn't been far off. Your new tenant was clearly exhausted by more than just his overworking, and judging by how keenly he had accepted your comforting, he had been desperate for someone to notice his suffering.</p><p>He sat now, at around 2.30 in the morning, with his head in your lap, controlling his breathing carefully. His arms were looped loosely around your waist, but his body clung close to your shins. He hadn't told you what the problem was, despite your repeated requests, but he was in no rush to run away either.</p><p>You bore in mind what Rus had told you - not only about his awkwardness, but all the changes that were going on in the brothers lives. His request for patience. It seemed patience wasn't all the smaller brother needed, as he noticeably relaxed when you maternally stroked his skull and shoulders, and tensed if you stopped longer than ten seconds.</p><p>Even Gabby was trying to comforting him, resting her head on his lap. He didn't scritch her head as his brother would, but didn't move her away either.</p><p>What was going on in that head of his? He clearly wanted to be comforted, why wouldn't he tell you what was wrong? His head grew heavy on your lap - was he falling asleep?</p><p>"Hey," you called softly.</p><p>His whole body flinched. Yup, definitely falling asleep.</p><p>"If you don't want to talk about it, I won't press." you promised "But you should go to bed, you can hardly keep your eyes open."</p><p>He blinked at you, his purple eyelights fuzzy. He looked like an overtired child desperately trying to stay awake.</p><p>"I... I'm sorry..." he mumbled "I know I'm being unreasonable right now."</p><p>It took him a while to get to his feet, further exhausted by the pushing down the worst of his emotional outburst.  </p><p>"Thank you for..."</p><p>He trailed off, not able to put a name to exactly what was going on.</p><p>"Thank you." he said again, turning to go up the stairs.</p><p>"Hang on," you called after him, making him pause "I just... I'm here, if you need someone to talk to... even if you don't want to talk, I'll still listen... y'know?"</p><p>Black was too tired to even seem shocked, just giving you a tired smile.</p><p>"Thanks." he said "You're a good..."</p><p>He looked away from you. Was he scared to say it?</p><p>"Friend?" you finished for him.</p><p>When he looked back, he seemed somehow far older, aeons of trauma behind his eyes.</p><p>"Friend." he agreed quietly, before going up to bed without another word.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Keep It Surprising</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey folks! I know I only posted the last one a couple days ago, but you have to write while you can, y'know? Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Black woke up with is big brothers arms wrapped around him, one of those long legs over his, keeping him trapped on the bed. His half-asleep mind immediately thought he was a child again, when his brothers body warmth was the only blanket he had, and tried to convince him to go back to sleep before another day of violent survival began. Half a second later, his adult mind kicked in, reminding him that that wasn't the case.</p>
<p>He was in his bed - memory foam, 100% cotton sheets, duck feather pillows - not on the hard ground, or curled up in the corner of a friends house. His brother wasn't sleeping, just resting his eyes with that dead-to-the-world facade he had perfected over the years. Seeing his face so close just reminded him what he had been so upset about yesterday...</p>
<p>It hit the small skeleton like lightning - it wasn't his alarm that had woken him. What time was it?! Was he late for work?! He tried to wiggle around to grab his phone from the bedside table, only for Rus to squeeze him tighter against his ribcage, forcing him still.</p>
<p>"nope." he said simply.</p>
<p>"Papy, unhand me!" he demanded "I have to go to work!"</p>
<p>"hmm, nah." the older brother dismissed, not bothered slightly by Black's thrashing "i already called alphys - she agreed you needed a day off."</p>
<p>Black stopped struggling, giving up with a petulant huff.</p>
<p>"I hate it when you two do this." he grumbled.</p>
<p>Rus just chuckled a little, pulling his brother into a more comfortable position and resting his chin on the top of his head. There went his brain again, thinking he was a babybones in the arms of the only adult who loved him. Black had been so determined to grow taller than his brother so he could get his revenge, but obviously that had never happened. The young brother realised he had stopped growing around the same time he realised the age gap between the two of them wasn't that great...</p>
<p>"Stop treating me like a babybones." he demanded into his brothers chest.</p>
<p>"what choice do i have?" Rus asked him "it's been less than two weeks and you're already working yourself to breakdown."</p>
<p>"Am not."</p>
<p>"ppft, babybones."</p>
<p>"Shut up."</p>
<p>They fell into silence for a while. Rus didn't let up his grip at all, but Black didn't mind too much.</p>
<p>"do you... need me to come back?" Rus asked after a while.</p>
<p>"No." Black said immediately "It's absurdly peaceful around here. It's mostly paperwork, running drills a few times a week. Nothing I can't handle alone."</p>
<p>"then why all the overtime?" he challenged "are you okay on your own?"</p>
<p>"Work is fine, Papy." he sighed "I'm fine."</p>
<p>"... are you?"</p>
<p>Black couldn't help himself - he nuzzled a little closer against his brother.</p>
<p>"I will be."</p>
<p>Again, silence fell. Black was tired, but he wasn't wired in a way that would let him sit back and do nothing all day. He still had a little unpacking to do, and that mould in the bathroom wasn't going to scrub itself, then there was his hamper full of clothes to be cleaned...</p>
<p>"Papy, let me up." he requested, tapping his brothers arm "There's stuff I need to do."</p>
<p>"nah."</p>
<p>"Papy, I'm serious!" Black insisted, starting to struggle in his grip again.</p>
<p>"i thought you were sans?" he teased, because <em>of course</em> he did. </p>
<p>"Papy!"</p>
<p>"snk-!"</p>
<p>"Don't laugh!" Black yelled, struggling further.</p>
<p>It never ceased to shock him how damn strong his brother was! Black worked out all the time, why could he never shift him?! Being short SUCKED!</p>
<p>"I need to do the laundry!" he insisted "The storage room needs to be rearranged, the car needs to be washed, and if I'm off work anyway I might as well go food shopping-!"</p>
<p>"i don't think you know what a day off is." Rus interrupted, putting his hand right on his brothers face and pushing him back down with no effort "i still have much to teach you."</p>
<p>"Papy!" Black whined "Not all of us can stay in bed all day!"</p>
<p>"stay in bed until two. we're going out at six, so that gives you four hours."</p>
<p>"That's not enough time!"</p>
<p>"you might just need to take another day off then." Rus teased "two in one week, imagine."</p>
<p>"I hate you so much." Black huffed, stopping his struggle to glare at the ceiling "Where are we going at six?"</p>
<p>"alph wants to take us out for dinner. said she's got something to tell us."</p>
<p>"Hm... what time is it now?"</p>
<p>"eight am."</p>
<p>"OH MY GOD, LET ME UP!"</p>
<hr/>
<p>You heard Black bustling around the house for hours before you saw him - Rus moved around the house like a shadow, and you swore he had memorised which of the old floorboards creaked so he could step around them, but Black moved like he wanted the whole neighbourhood to be aware of his presence. At least he hadn't gone to work today - the time off would do him some good. Maybe knowing everything at home was in order would help him feel more in control.</p>
<p>Around 1pm, there was a light knock on the door of your office.</p>
<p>"... Would you like some lunch?" said skeleton asked shyly.</p>
<p>He was actually asking this time, huh? Well, it was about that time. </p>
<p>"Also I bought the post. May I open the door?"</p>
<p>"Sure, come on in." you called back as you saved your work for the morning.</p>
<p>Black wouldn't look at you as he laid the post on your table. He didn't even pay Gabby much attention as she shuffled to her feet to beg for pets.</p>
<p>"Um... listen..." he started "I'm sorry about last night."</p>
<p>"What part of it?" you asked as you turned to him.</p>
<p>The look on his face was priceless - not quite a full mental fail, but definitely a serious stall.</p>
<p>"What part?" he repeated.</p>
<p>"If you're sorry for keeping me up late on a work night, then I accept your apology." you told him "If you're sorry for exposing the fact that have emotions, then don't be daft. Even robots have emotions, at least if Mettaton is anything to go by."</p>
<p>Black snorted out a laugh, giving you a self-conscious smile.</p>
<p>"I prefer Napstabot myself." he admitted.</p>
<p>"Oh yeah? What's your favourite song?"</p>
<p>Whether or not Black knew what you were doing, you weren't sure, but he let the subject change to something lighter all the same. He did notice the way you immediately threw a certain hand-written envelope straight into the bin, but like many things in his life, kept the information to himself.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Alphys and Undyne turned up 45 minutes early. It wasn't unusual for them to be a little early - a military general could never be late, afterall - but this was a little much, even for them. Said general was chomping at the bit to expose whatever it was she had to tell them, but her partner was much better at keeping things under wraps, going as far as to wrap a belt around Alphys' muzzle if need be.</p>
<p>"How formal is the place we're going?" Black asked as he headed up the stairs to change out of his cleaning clothes.</p>
<p>"Not formal at all." the scientist assured "Wear something comfortable."</p>
<p>Rus didn't even blink when she turned her bright yellow eyes to him, giving him a quick once over.</p>
<p>"You'll do." she said.</p>
<p>"that's all i aim for." he smirked.</p>
<p>He was a little more surprised when she turned to you as you wheeled into view on your way to your room, chocolate biscuit in your mouth, and did the same.</p>
<p>"Please don't fill up on snacks." Undyne asked "Food service doesn't take long where we're going."</p>
<p>You gave them both a wide-eyed look, glancing from one to the other, before you took the biscuit from your mouth.</p>
<p>"I wasn't aware I was invited." you admitted.</p>
<p>Undyne immediately glared at Rus, but he held up his hands.</p>
<p>"aplh just said 'you guys'." he excused "i figured she just meant us."</p>
<p>She looked to her partner, but the lizard was busy playing with the dog. Undyne sighed fondly before turning back to you.</p>
<p>"The more the merrier." she said "It's a special occasion, afteral - we're even meeting a few people there too."</p>
<p>"Oh, then I'd love to come." you confirmed "What's the dress code?"</p>
<p>"That depends," the doctor said teasingly "Is your casual look like Blacks, or like Rus's?"</p>
<p>"Rus has other clothes?" you said without missing a beat, making her snort out another laugh.</p>
<p>Undyne ended up going through your closet to pick something suitable. Experience told Rus that his old friend intended on taking pictures tonight, if she was so worried about what everyone was wearing.</p>
<p>"dinner for a week says they're getting married." he whispered to his brother as Alphys loaded your chair into her van.</p>
<p>"Safe bet." he replied with a smirk "Dinner and lunch says it's a shotgun wedding."</p>
<p>"you're on." Rus agreed with a laugh as he slipped into the van himself.</p>
<p>"So, where are we actually going?" you asked once they were all buckled in.</p>
<p>Much to Rus's delight, Gabby had sat herself beside him and put her head in his lap. Maybe once they had their own place again, he could convince his brother they needed a dog of their own...</p>
<p>"You ever been to the Delta open air food market?" Alphys asked you, looking back in the rear-view mirror.</p>
<p>"I haven't!" you gasped "I've always wanted to check it out, but it gets so busy."</p>
<p>"Not tonight it doesn't." the general assured.</p>
<p>"tuesday night, the week before payday." Rus knew before you even asked "the only people eating out are either budget experts or financially reckless."</p>
<p>"Dare I ask which one we are?" you laughed.</p>
<p>Rus liked making you laugh. He hadn't been quite sure what to expect after his retirement from the guard, especially when it came to moving in with someone he didn't know. Would he really be able to leave a life of violence behind? Would he really be able to drop his old bag habits? Would he be able to get along with you, seeing as you were both home all day? Boy, had he lucked out in that regard - you were a soft person, and it was easy to get along with you. He didn't have to second guess anything you said, because you always meant the words that came out of your mouth.</p>
<p>That, or you were the greatest liar he'd ever seen in his life.</p>
<p>He liked to think it was the former.</p>
<p>It was dusk by the time the group arrived at the market, the setting sun dying the wood and shingle stalls a deep orange. The whole market had a ramshackle aesthetic, but there was no better place in this country or the next to get good, authentic food of any variety you could imagine - just the aroma in the air could make a person salivate uncontrollably, and every weekend and payday the place was packed.</p>
<p>A great place for pickpockets. Drugs too, if you knew who to talk to. Information was the speciality of the monster running the cake stall.</p>
<p>Rus had to remind himself he was retired. He wasn't here for a job. He was retired. He didn't need to be on edge. He was retired.</p>
<p>Gabby pressed her nose into his hand, startling him out of his thoughts. When she turned those big brown eyes to him, he swore it was her way of saying 'I'm here, it's okay!'...Stars, dogs were too good for this rotten world. He spent some time giving her scritches as everyone else piled out of the car.</p>
<p>"Oh, there's a Grillby's here?" his brother noted as he looked around, the bright red sign visible even from the entrance.</p>
<p>"Don't you fucking dare." Alphys growled at him, shoving the back of his head lightly "You can have Grillby's anytime, get something else."</p>
<p>"Is that an order, general?"</p>
<p>"You're damn right!"</p>
<p>The two continued to bicker in the way only old friends could as they entered the market proper, Undyne hand-in-hand with Alphys on her other side.</p>
<p>They were <em>definitely</em> going to announce they were getting married.</p>
<p>Rus looked back at you to find you glaring at the ground. Dirt and compacted gravel. Would that be a problem for the chair? With a determined expression, you cracked your knuckles and grabbed your wheels, resolute to catch up with the others regardless. Your wheels skidded a little, making him uncomfortable - a lifetime of being an over protective big brother made it impossible for him to not intervene. Just a little blue magic to keep you stable, and you could handle the rest on your own.</p>
<p><strike>He liked having someone to take care of. It made him feel like his life was worth something.</strike> </p>
<p>The group ambled around the stalls first before each chose what they wanted to eat, disappearing their separate ways.</p>
<p>"You don't need all that cake." his brother scolded in passing.</p>
<p>"you're the one that says i don't eat enough."</p>
<p>"Eat proper food!"</p>
<p>At the court of picnic tables that made up the other half of the market, a group of large monsters waved them down. Catty and Bratty, fresh from work if the armour on the floor beside them was anything to go by, and the two ghosts that lived next door to Undyne (one of whom was actually Napstabot, but that was a closely guarded secret). They already had their food, evidently having been there a little longer, and once the necessary introductions were made, the most casual engagement party in the world began.</p>
<p>Fells didn't often keep company with other Fells. Too long a history of grudges and backstabbing, dusty hands going back generations. For monsters who truly wanted a better life after the barriers came down, leaving everything behind to integrate with the more peaceful clans was the only solution. There was something about Alphys that made groups like theirs possible - maybe it was her wide smile, her integrity, or the way she drew that hard black line between work and home, but Rus found it easier to put it all aside for people she gave the thumbs up to. Sure, Bratty and Catty had beat his brother up when they were all kids, but they were alright by Alphys, so bygones were bygones.</p>
<p>Not that that stopped him watching their interactions with you very closely. If bygones really were bygones, they'd be cool with you too, wouldn't they?</p>
<p>"ALRIGHT!" Alphys roared, snapping everyone's attention to her as she stood, slamming one foot down on the bench and striking a pose "TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT!!"</p>
<p>"Oh Darling!~" Hapsta cried "Tell us you're finally-!"</p>
<p>Everyone in arms reach covered the ghosts mouth with their hands, his cousin almost body slamming him under the chorus of 'shhhh!!' </p>
<p>He seemed to get the hint.</p>
<p>"Undyne and I have an important announcement!" Alphys continued to declare, holding her hand out for the scientist to take "As you all know, the two of us have been together a long time and, well, it's time we made it official!"</p>
<p>A polite round of applause rippled through the small party. Undyne held up her left hand to show off the ring - nothing flashy, but big enough to be noticed.</p>
<p>"And?" she encouraged her fiancee.</p>
<p>"And?" Alphys repeated.</p>
<p>Undyne gave her a smile, cocking her head to the side a little. Alphys startled as she remembered what she was getting at.</p>
<p>"AND!" the general declared proudly "And... oh, stars... aw geez..."</p>
<p>Alphys was practically melting where she stood, drooping into a happy puddle. The waves of elation radiating off her were dazzling.</p>
<p>"We're pregnant." Undyne finished for her.</p>
<p>"Oh come on!" Catty suddenly yelled, startling everyone as she stood and rammed her hand in her pocket "You couldn't keep it in your pants until after the wedding, boss?!"</p>
<p>Bratty just smirked as Catty gave her a handful of gold.</p>
<p>"Did you bet on this?!" Alphys cried, feigning indignation. </p>
<p>On her other side, Napstablook paid his wager to Hapsta, who looked more than smug. The entire table burst out laughing, the appropriate congratulations passing to the happy couple.</p>
<p>Some time later, as Alphys and Black were loading your chair into the van to go home, Undyne sidled carefully up to Rus. They stood in mutual silence for a while, both knowing exactly what she was going to say.</p>
<p>"It's... okay, isn't it?"</p>
<p>Rus didn't really need to think about it. The only thing he needed to consider was his reaction. </p>
<p>Taking his hands from his pockets, he held his arms out in invitation for a hug. Undyne was surprised a moment, but smiled all the same, wrapping her arms around his torso.</p>
<p>"things have really changed, haven't they?" he supposed "not too long ago, that announcement would have been the death of both of you."</p>
<p>"I know." his old friend agreed, giving him a squeeze "All this change in our lifetime... I never thought we'd be that lucky."</p>
<p>As they released each other, Undyne laid her hand over her soul, where the tiny soulling was growing even as they spoke.</p>
<p>"I'm going to be a mother." she said, almost crying from how happy the thought made her.</p>
<p>"hell yeah you are." he replied, pushing down his own anxieties and shoving his feelings into his pocket, along with his hands.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Black couldn't sleep. Not for lack of trying, but he had rested so long today that his mind just wouldn't shut off now. He tried counting sheep, thinking about work, lucid dreaming, everything he could think of to try and fall asleep, but nothing was working. The only option he had left was a glass of warm milk, and if that didn't work then he'd give up and read a book.</p>
<p>His body was sluggish as he got out of bed. Clearly it wanted to sleep, even if his mind didn't.</p>
<p>Passing Rus's room, he saw he was sleeping with his door open - not just resting his eyes, but actually sleeping. He only did that when he felt safe in a place, no matter who was around. Seeing it made Black feel good, like all the stress and effort was paying off. As quietly as he could, Black went downstairs. These old things really should be carpeted - he'd bring that up with you when he had a chance. </p>
<p>A low growl from the darkness of the living room got his attention. He could see the dark form of Gabby sat on the floor eyeing him, but not moving from her spot.</p>
<p>"Just because you don't like me as much as my brother doesn't mean you can growl at me." he scolded quietly, conscious of the time.</p>
<p>The dog started to wag her tail, apparently satisfied just hearing his voice, before lowering her head and... ripping something? The sound of tearing paper rung in the air, no doubt meeting its end in his jaws. It took his brain a moment to react - Black didn't bring any paperwork home, and Rus didn't have any anymore. That meant the paper could only belong to you.</p>
<p>And you were a paralegal, so that paper was probably very bloody important.</p>
<p>Smacking on the light, Black rushed over to pry the paper from the dogs jaw. She whined, padding the ground with her front paws, but a good scratch behind the ears made up for the theft. Black looked over the paper to inspect the damage, hoping it wasn't some important legal document, but found it was mostly empty. Even through the rips, teeth marks and drool, it was clear that there was only word on the paper, written in large, angry handwriting.</p>
<p><em>THIEF.</em>  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Literally been thunder and lightning here for three days - VERY unusual in this part of the world. Poor cats don't know *what's* going on!</p>
<p>Remember to leave a review - writers live for that!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Keep it Personal</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rus read over his brothers message one more time before sighing and putting his phone away, knocking lightly on the door of your office.</p><p>No rest for the wicked, he supposed.</p><p>There was a pause as you no doubt saved and put away whatever legally sensitive documents you were working on.</p><p>"Come in." you called finally.</p><p>He settled on popping his head around the door, giving you a friendly smile.</p><p>"do you have a screwdriver?" he asked.</p><p>"A screwdriver?" you confirmed, thinking a moment "Probably. It'll be in the garage if we do."</p><p>You spun the chair around, so Rus opened the door fully. Seeing the movement, Gabby got to her feet, tail wagging, and went to him for a pet. You led Rus out the side door, where a small ramp led to a short covered path to the garage. The outbuilding looked like it hadn't been used much in years, an ancient car sat rusting on cracked and stained concrete. Along one wall was a ramshackle workbench and tool storage area, which judging from the inch of dust on the top hadn't been used in even longer than the car.</p><p>"i didn't know you had a car." he mentioned, although he was certain you had never once driven it.</p><p>"It was my grandmothers." you confirmed as you checked through the various boxes and drawers "Until she got too frail to drive. I really should sell it... I'll add it to the list, I guess."</p><p>"does it still work?"</p><p>"As far as I know. You interested?"</p><p>"maybe. if i can sit in it comfortably." </p><p>"Ah ha!" you declared, pulling out a pack of various sized screwdrivers "Got the bastards! Here."</p><p>"thanks." Rus bid as he took them from you, smiling a little at your triumphant cussing.</p><p>"Are you putting together some furniture?" you asked.</p><p>"nah, just some fixtures in bathroom need tightening." he told you "my brother left me a whole list of stuff that needed to be done upstairs."</p><p>"Really? Is it really that bad up there?"</p><p>The face you pulled was one of genuine concern. Clearly you suspected it must be in need of some upkeep, seeing as that was a part of the rental contract.</p><p>"when was the last time you were up there?" he asked.</p><p>"Since I was seven." you confirmed, which honestly surprised him.</p><p>It was the nonchalance with which you said it that surprised him. Was that when you had the accident? He supposed you had had plenty of time since to come to terms with it, but to think you hadn't had access to half your home for well over a decade...</p><p>"do you want to see it?" he asked.</p><p>"I hate being carried even more than I hate being pushed." you warned him, already seeing what he was suggesting.</p><p>"no carrying." he promised with a casual shrug "and i only need to touch the chair, so no pushing either."</p><p>You were clearly confused as you pondered over how you would get upstairs under those circumstances. You were so in control most of the time, it was cute seeing you figure things out.</p><p>"So, magic?" you asked.</p><p>"yup." he confirmed, stepping forward and grabbing one of the handles on the back of the chair.</p><p>"You're not going to float me up, are you?" you recalled, voice clearly portraying you opinion on the matter.</p><p>"let's find out." Rus teased.</p><p>Before you could even finish calling his name in protest, the two of you appeared in the upstairs hallway. Rus would never get tired of that first shortcut reaction, as you spun around in wide-eyed bewilderment before turning back to him.</p><p>"You can teleport?!" you cried excitedly.</p><p>"i prefer to think of it as taking a shortcut." he shrugged.</p><p>"And you want a car <em>why</em>?"</p><p>His explanation was cut off by alarmed barking from outside. Immediately, his heart was seized with guilt - how could he forget about Gabby?! He practically ran to the hallway window, pulling it open and sticking his head out to call the dog. He was going to have to giver her so many pets for scaring her like that! The dog barrelled out of the garage on hearing his voice, worrying the ground as she looked for him, before barking accusingly when she finally spotted him.</p><p>
  <em>So many pets!!!</em>
</p><p>Once he saw Gabby return to the house via the side door, he turned back to apologise to you for causing a fuss, only to find you staring at the walls with a faraway expression on your face. Had you ever expected to be able to come back up here?</p><p>"hey," he called softly, getting your attention without startling you "how come your grandmother never put a stairlift in?"</p><p>You blinked a couple of times, the nostalgia leaving your eyes as you took in the state of the hallway.</p><p>"Something about it being the wrong type of wall." you recalled "It's such an old house, we'd have to knock some walls down and rebuild them. We just didn't have the money."</p><p>Rus nodded in understanding - the wall that the stairs adjoined would need to be able to hold a certain amount of weight, not to mention hold up the mechanics...</p><p>"This isn't as bad as it I was afraid of." you thought, still looking around "Nothing a fresh coat of paint and a new carpet won't fix."</p><p>"yeah, the major stuff's already done." Rus confirmed, tapping the plastic window frames that couldn't have been put it more than five years ago "it's mostly cosmetic stuff."</p><p>"Don't forget to keep any receipts," you reminded him "I'll take it out of your rent. Mind if I take a look around?"</p><p>"sure." he shrugged.</p><p>You manoeuvred yourself uncomfortably, not used to the space you suddenly found yourself in. He could see the cogs turning in your eyes as you regarded the various closed doors - were you trying to remember which led where? After a moment, you picked the bathroom door, and looked around with an appraising eye before taking a few pictures.</p><p>"Does all the plumbing work?" you asked.</p><p>"water pressure isn't great." he admitted.</p><p>"Would you prefer a shower instead of a bath?"</p><p>"i can use the shower in the master."</p><p>"I'll take that as a yes."</p><p>After a few more pictures, you closed the door behind you and proceeded to the next. This was the one they were using as a storage room to save on lock-up fees, where all their larger furniture items were carefully stacked. You took a few pictures of the walls and floor before moving on, making no comment.</p><p>"Who's in the master bedroom?" you asked as you approached the door.</p><p>"my brother." he confirmed.</p><p>"Think he'll mind if I take a look?"</p><p>"as long as i'm with you." he supposed.</p><p>You opened the door and wheeled in. Rus followed leisurely, standing at the door as you took a look around. The wallpaper in this room was a faded lilac, with a floral border around the middle that hadn't been fashionable in over twenty years. Had they owned the place, Black would have pulled it all down and redecorated before spending a single night sleeping there. Not that he home a lot right now...</p><p>"This was my grandmothers room." you told him, bittersweet smile pulling at your lips.</p><p>"yeah?"</p><p>"Yeah... until she couldn't get up the stairs either anymore. I bought that pull-out sofa in my bedroom so she didn't have to struggle with them every day."</p><p>"a pull-out sofa?" he chuckled.</p><p>"Oh, it's a <em>fancy</em> one." you assured "Memory foam and everything. It cost more than my bed."</p><p>You laughed, but it came out as more of a sigh, your eyes distant.</p><p>You clearly had a lot of love and respect for your grandmother. Considering how well you had turned out, Rus was growing to respect her a lot as well.</p><p>"She really should have been in a home." you thought aloud "Some place where people could take care of her. She wouldn't, though."</p><p>"stubborn?" Rus guessed.</p><p>"Oh, absolutely." you laughed "But it was more than that - she had been a nurse her whole adult life, and when she should have been enjoying her retirement she had to take care of me. Taking care of others was so built into who she was, letting someone take care of her was unthinkable. Even though I was an adult, and she could barely see and barely walk, she still tried to take care of me... What did you do with her furniture?"</p><p>"it's in the storage room." he assured you "we were careful with it."</p><p>You gave him that bittersweet smile again, taking a good look around the room and attached en suite.</p><p>"Your brother mentioned any issues?" you asked.</p><p>"aside from everything being salmon pink?" Rus chuckled "nah, everything works fine."</p><p>"Bottom of the list, then." you supposed "Can I check your room?"</p><p>"that depends," he teased "promise not to judge my housekeeping?"</p><p>"I promise nothing, good sir." you returned with a smile.</p><p>Rus let out a long suffering sigh, shrugging theatrically as he spun around to head back down the hallway.</p><p>"my landlord is a tyrant!" he joked.</p><p>"You're damn right." you laughed.</p><p>The room closest to the stairs was his. Gabby had finally appeared at the top of them, looking just as confused to find you up here was when you had suddenly vanished on her. Rus knelt down to pet away the offence as you took a brief look around.</p><p>"have you had a stressful day, baby?" he cooed as he scratched her behind the ears "you wanna go chase some sticks with me?"</p><p>Although still giving him the stink-eye, Gabby started wagging her tail all the same.</p><p>"so who's room was that?" Rus asked when you reappeared.</p><p>"If I recall correctly, it was the nursery." you shrugged, wheeling along to the last unopened door on the landing.</p><p>"so that cot was yours, huh?"</p><p>"Probably."</p><p>You grabbed the handle and turned it, only to find the door locked. To his surprise, you were just as confused at this as he and his brother had been when they moved in.</p><p>"Why is this locked?" you asked him.</p><p>"i thought you would know." he confessed.</p><p>You thought about it a moment, and soon enough it seemed to click.</p><p>"It must be my mothers room." you thought.</p><p>"so why is it locked?" Rus pried.</p><p>"To keep the evil in, I guess."</p><p>Wow, <em>that</em> was a loaded sentence, and the banality with which you said it only made it stand out more.</p><p>"I have no idea where the damn key is." you went on, which seemed to bother you more "I need to make sure there's no mould... think I should call a locksmith?"</p><p>"i can get it open." Rus assured, finally leaving the dog and returning to your side "we left it in respect for your privacy."</p><p>"I appreciate that." you assured, backing away to give him access to the door.</p><p>The tall skeleton knelt down in front of it - like everything else in the house, it was old, but well kept enough to last. He'd have it open in seconds, but expectation was burning in the back of his mind to the point of becoming painful. You actually looked surprised when he turned back around to face you.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"you know you can't just leave it there." he pointed out.</p><p>"Leave what where?" you asked.</p><p>"your mother." he prompted.</p><p>"Oh. That."</p><p>Your entire demeanour turned cold. It wasn't bitter, there were no traces of anger in your tone, but the absolute absence of any warmth in your voice spoke volumes, even before you said anything of substance.</p><p>"I don't remember much about the accident." you confessed "I mean, I was only seven at the time. But I remember being in the hospital afterwards. My first, crystal clear memory is what my mother said to me after the doctor told her I'd never walk again."</p><p>Rus waited. He wasn't expecting anything good.</p><p>"'<em>You've ruined my life'</em>."  you quoted calmly.</p><p>The words hit him like a slap in the face. He'd been expecting something bad, but <em>fuck</em>... He couldn't imagine ever saying that to his brother, let alone any child of his own... There were so many levels on which it was wrong, he was honestly having trouble sorting through them all.</p><p>"The second thing I remember is my grandmother slapping her so hard it left a bruise." you finished casually "Needless to say, she didn't exactly fight my grandmother for custody of me. I've seen her maybe... three of four times since."</p><p>You laughed bitterly, a flash of anger finally showing in your eyes.</p><p>"She wasn't at her mothers funeral, but you better believe she was at the will reading." you told him "So yeah, we don't exactly get along."</p><p>Rus was struck dumb by the horror of it. If anything had happened to his brother - <em>anything</em> - there was no force in heaven or earth that would stop him being there. If his Sans had lost the ability to walk, Papyrus would have fucking <em>carried</em> him for the rest of his life! How could <em>anyone, blessed</em> with the gift of a <em>child</em>, turn their back so easily, so <em>cruelly</em>, when their child needed them?!</p><p>"Rus?!" you cried, grabbing his shoulders.</p><p>The jolt bought him far enough back to realise his vision was going white, and the old iron doorknob in his hand was crushed into a lumpy mess. Your face was stricken with concern, leaning forward in your chair to the point of it being dangerous.</p><p>"Are you... fuck, are you okay?!"</p><p>Words fell to static in his mouth as his head started to fill with an all-too-familiar white noise.</p>
<hr/><p>You didn't know what to do. Rus was clearly having some kind of episode - he had managed to stumble to his room before curling up into a tight ball on the floor, back to the dresser as he rocked back and forth. Gabby was immediately on her feet, licking his face and worrying the ground in front of him. You only wished you could be so useful, as the dog allowed herself to be held tightly with his one arm, while he held his phone to his head with the other. You hoped whoever he was talking to had the situation under control, because you sure didn't.</p><p>You knew this wasn't about you. He had told you before about his PTSD, and clearly you had said something to trigger him. You wanted to help, but you didn't want to make it worse, and you honestly had <em>no idea</em> what to do... The skeleton started breathing purposefully, whoever he was talking to on the phone no doubt leading him. His therapist? His brother? </p><p>If you were in his position, the only thing you would want is not to have an audience. With that in mind, you did the only other thing you could, and went back to your mothers room to finish your inspection. The low feeling in your chest tried to convince you to go back, but you were useless to help him right now.</p><p>You had never been in your mothers room, at least not that you could remember. It was a typical teenage girls room, albeit outdated - pink walls, white metal furniture, frilly textiles, posters of bands you'd never heard of all over. Even at a glance, it was clear you were very different people.</p><p>As if you didn't already know.</p><p>Your grandmother had blamed her late husband entirely for the way your mother had turned out - she said he could literally never say 'no' to her, leading to her developing a toxic kind of entitled personality. She deserved everything, and nothing was ever her fault. Hence why she got so outraged when your grandmother had left the house to you instead of her.</p><p>You weren't even angry at her anymore. You had been, of course, especially as a teenager - during that typical self-loathing phase, you had roared and screamed and cried, throwing things around while you battled with the unfairness of it all, the rejection of the one person who was supposed to love you most. Your grandmother had just moved everything breakable out of your reach and let you get it out of your system, no doubt having already come to the same level of acceptance that you now had.   </p><p>The last time you saw your mother before the reading of the will was your 18th birthday. She put on a happy face until the two of you were alone, when she asked you if you had received the small trust your grandfather left for you. You lied and told her no, since you needed the money for your tuition. She left not even five minutes later.</p><p>You didn't have it in you to be angry at her anymore. You didn't want to give her that much of your energy.</p><p>You heard Gabby's claws on the hardwood before you saw Rus standing at the door. He still looked shaky, curled in on himself, but better than before. How long had you been staring into space, that he had had the time to pull himself together?</p><p>"Hey," you greeted "Any better?"</p><p>His head moved in a couple different directions, neither a nod or a shake, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.</p><p>"Anything I can do to help?" you asked earnestly.</p><p>"just... let me stay where you are." he requested quietly.</p><p><em>Don't leave me alone,</em> in other words.  </p><p>"Sure, come sit on the bed." you beckoned, giving the dusty surface a pat "I need to check for mould, then we can go back downstairs."</p><p>He didn't look at you as he wandered over. You were certain it wasn't because he was embarrassed - if anything, he just looked exhausted. You could imagine that kind of mental break would be tiring.</p><p>"I know you're still pretty fragile right now." you told him, taking his hand "Is there anything I shouldn't talk about?"</p><p>"your mother." he said right away.</p><p>You could read between the lines - you didn't need him to elaborate.</p><p>"Okay." you agreed.</p><p>As you released his hand, Gabby took your place, nudging her nose under his palm. He was happy enough to pet her instead.</p><p>Eager to finish here quickly, you opened the closet, surprised to find clothes still inside. While you weren't overly au fait when it came to fashion, the fabric was good quality, and the wardrobe had a definite style to it. It was probably the height of fashion when it was new. You moved it aside like the trash it was, looking for the tell-tale dark circles and smell of dirt.</p><p>"please say something."</p><p>The entreaty was so quiet, you barely heard it.</p><p>"What would you like to talk about?" you asked.</p><p>If you let him pick the topic, he wouldn't pick something that would upset himself, right?</p><p>"are you an only child?" he asked softly.</p><p>"Technically I have a sibling." you admitted.</p><p>"'technically'?" he parroted.</p><p>"They were about three when the accident happened." you elaborated "I don't remember if they were a boy or a girl. For a long time I thought they had died, and that's why no-one would talk about them, but when I was an adult my grandmother told me they were put in care. The social workers said she couldn't handle both of us - I think it was a real blow to her."</p><p>"they must be an adult by now." Rus supposed "you ever think of finding them?"</p><p>"Every now and then." you confessed, closing the closest "But if they don't know they're adopted, it might be an unwelcome surprise, you know?"</p><p>Rus hummed thoughtfully, absently scratching Gabby's head.</p><p>"what about your dad?"</p><p>"Well, technically that woman is married." you explained, checking behind the larger furniture "But whether or not he's my father, I have no idea. He's never exactly made the effort."</p><p>"'technically'." Rus repeated again "do you have a large family?"</p><p>You let out a humourless laugh, giving him a wry smile.</p><p>"Technically."</p><p>He copied your laugh. As you approached the dressing table to check behind it, it moved of its own accord to allow you access. No doubt the monsters magic.</p><p>"I don't know, it's complicated." you went on "Growing up, it felt like it was me and my grandmother against the world. Christmas, birthdays, it was always just the two of us. No-one ever came to help her take care of me, and when she got too weak to walk, no-one came to help me take care of her. I might have given them the benefit of the doubt, knowing how stubborn she could be, but..."</p><p>Fresh anger started boiling in your core. You tried not to glare as you looked back at Rus, who was listening with rapt attention.</p><p>"Then she died." you said "And all these cousins I never met came out of the woodwork. They thought they'd be in the will, you know? And this old place is worth quite a bit of money now. Half of them treated me like I was mentally disabled, and the other half like I was just plain stupid."</p><p>You fiddled with the old jewellery box on the dressing table. There was some ancient makeup inside, but no actual jewellery, not even the plastic kind.</p><p>"My grandmother was so insistent that I study hard and get a good job, so that I wouldn't have to rely on the family to help me after she died. I understood why when I met them."</p><p>"i'm liking your grandmother more and more." Rus admitted "did anybody challenge the will?"</p><p>"In their own way." you told him, not able to stop the bitterness creeping into your voice "They tried to have me declared mentally subnormal, so the court would have to appoint a guardian to oversee my finances and property."</p><p>You gestured your hands at the space around you to illustrate your point. You felt validated by the look of confused anger on your lodgers face.</p><p>"Needless to say, the social services saw right through them." you assured him "Claire says she's seen this more than once. People who aren't as smart as they think they are think they can take advantage of disabled people, you know?"</p><p>"claire?" Rus pried.</p><p>"My case worker. Adult services." you dismissed "She comes by once a month to check on me, make sure I'm coping on my own. She was the one who convinced me to take in some tenants to help with the upkeep."</p><p>"i guess i should thank her then." he supposed "how did the family take it?"</p><p>"Well, they kind of shot themselves in the foot." you pointed out "Now the courts are paying attention to them, and me working at the country's largest crisis line doesn't hurt either. If they so much as knock on my door, I can make their lives very difficult. Legally speaking, anyway."</p><p>"nice." Rus chuckled.</p><p>"Kind of." you sighed "They can still write me letters. And they often do. Sometimes they plead their case, give me some sob story about a sick dog or a leaking roof - you know, some reason I should give them money - but a lot of the time it's just a lot of insults. 'Selfish, greedy retard' is one they all seem to like."</p><p>"there's nothing wrong with you mentally." he knew, again looking pissed off.</p><p>"They aren't the type of people who care." you pointed out "And you want to know the best part?"</p><p>"what's that?"</p><p>"There is no money." you admitted "By the time my grandmother died, there was enough left for her funeral, and a few of the bigger repairs on the house. Between my disability and her just being old, our medical expenses ate up a lot of her savings. If they weren't such dicks I might have given them one of the antiques, but after the way they've been behaving... fuck 'em."</p><p>"fuck 'em." Rus agreed with finality.</p><p>"What about you?" you asked "Any other siblings? Father?"</p><p>"not really..." he muttered, before grinning at you "<em>technically</em> we have an older brother, but the captain doesn't set foot on land if he can help it."</p><p>"Navy?"</p><p>"cruise ships. he was old enough that he could have done something to help us after our parents died, but... he didn't."</p><p>You let the sentence hang there. After his earlier reaction, you didn't want to set him off again. You didn't ask, and he didn't elaborate.</p><p>"Okay, well, I'm done in this room." you announced "I need to get back to work, but you're welcome to hang out in the office with me."</p><p>Rus just nodded, getting to his feet. Once you had left the room, he pulled the door to, but with the handle wrecked there was no way to lock it again. You'd call the closest charity shop in the morning, see if they wanted any of that junk. You stopped at the top of the stairs, for obvious reasons, and waited for Rus to work his magic. Instead, he circled his long arms around your shoulders, burying his head in your shoulder a moment.</p><p>"um... don't take this the wrong way..." he requested "but... we're your family now..."</p><p>You found yourself back in your office before you could reply.</p>
<hr/><p>Sugar had called Black. His mate, and the mother of his child (soon to be children)*, had spent a good amount of time on the phone with Rus that afternoon. His brother had had one of his attacks, and called them to talk him through it. While Black was of course happy his brother had a friend he could turn to, he couldn't help but feel a little bitter well.</p><p>
  <strike>It should have been him Papy called. Why did he <em>still</em> never rely on him?</strike>
</p><p>Regardless, he left work early that day, picking up dinner on the way home. He wasn't sure how bad it was going to be, but if you had been the one dealing with it then it was only right that he provide the evening meal. Worry chewed at his soul the entire way home, alleviated only slightly by the lack of char marks in the house and grounds.</p><p>"Papy?" he called as he entered, not even caring if you heard.</p><p>"office." came the lazy reply from the back of the house.</p><p>Black stopped only long enough to drop the food on the kitchen counter before going to find him. Rus was lain on the sofa in your office, but it was far too short for him, leaving his lower legs dangling over one side. The golden dog was lying right on top of him, nestled into his side as he absently pet her. Rus wasn't even pretending to be asleep, just staring at the ceiling.</p><p>"Sugar called me." he told hid brother as he approached "You know why?"</p><p>"i know why."</p><p>"Okay. I bought dinner. You like Mexican food, right?"</p><p>"i like it okay."</p><p>"Is there anything I can do for you?"</p><p>Papy finally looked at him. He looked beyond weary.</p><p>"let me hold you." he requested.</p><p>If Black were the delicate sort, his heart would have broken from that alone. Instead, he held out his arms to signal his consent. Papy sat up before pulling his little brother into his lap, lanky form curling up around him. Even though he was so big, and <em>so strong</em>, it was times like this that reminded Black that they were really only as strong as each other. Papyrus held his brother as if we as the only thing protecting him from this violent world, but Black knew that he was the core keeping that tight shell collapsing in on itself.</p><p>"i love you." Papy told him quietly.</p><p>Black chanced a look in your direction. Never had he seen a person more intent to concentrate on their work and ignore everything else in the room.</p><p>"I love you too." he assured him "So, so much."</p><p>His brother squeezed him a little tighter, resting his head on Blacks shoulder. The younger brother could feel the way his carefully breathed, trying his best to maintain his calm.</p><p>Little did he knew that Black was going the exact same thing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*the MC of the first and second pieces in this series, 'Love? I Think Not' and 'Love? For Real?' If you haven't read those, you really should. Not because you need to, but because you should XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Keep it Fun</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>NSFW... kind of? There's mention of a sex dream, and Black has to go to a strip club, but nothing explicit will be stated.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Black stared at the ceiling, listening to the tick of his watch on the other side of the silent room. He had had the dream again. The dream that made him scrub himself for 2 hours straight in a frigid cold shower the first time it happened. He couldn't look his brother in the eye for two days afterwards. By now, he had had that dream, or some variant of it, enough times not to provoke so visceral a reaction any more. Not that it didn't bother him - it most certainly did, not least of all because nothing he had ever experienced in real life could quite measure up to the... passion of it.</p>
<p>He lay awake now, not sure what time it was, keeping his hands clamped firmly above his sheets. He wasn't going to give his body what it wanted - it felt like the point of no return, and if he crossed that line, there was so much further he could fall.</p>
<p>So he lay there, awake and hating himself, for stars knew how long. The light coming through the curtains took a long time to change, slowly morphing from the orange glow of the street lights to the soft yellow-white stain of the morning sun, but still the alarm on his phone didn't sound.</p>
<p>And now he was thirsty. Great.</p>
<p>Well, it was as good an excuse as any to get up.</p>
<p>Plodding along the hallway, Black peeked into the open door of his brothers room. He was so used to his nightmares and restless nights, checking on him was just habit by now. As usual, he was sleeping in his clothes, half in and half out of the covers. One leg hanging over the edge of the bed, complete with slipper, and one hand under his t-shirt, causing it to ride up and show off his ribs, while the other was splayed out above his head. Not the strangest position he'd ever found him in.</p>
<p>Black knew his brother better than anyone - of course touching him would wake him up, but he would fall asleep again just as quickly, especially when he felt his smaller brothers skeletal hands. As usual, he took his brothers hand from under his shirt and placed it by his side, straightening out his posture so he wouldn't wake up with a sore shoulder, before covering him properly with the duvet. Rus pretended to still be asleep, and no doubt would be by the time he left the room.</p>
<p>It was the oddest thing - despite how... vivid his dreams were, his waking mind felt nothing on seeing his brother disrobed. He might have considered that strange, if he was willing to think about it at all. Which he absolutely was not.</p>
<p>Proceeding downstairs, he found Gabby sat by the front door. She spared him a glance before looking back at her quarry. Before he could wonder too much, a letter was pushed through the old iron slot in the door, and the dog grabbed it. Was this a regular occurrence? The post-monster usually used the box near the street rather than come all the way up the path...</p>
<p>It took his tired mind a moment to click, and a second more to get the door open and look around.</p>
<p>No-one. Having the letter ripped from their hand by the animal must have spooked them enough to run away. Gabby still waited where she was before, now wagging her tail as she looked at him. Black was a little nervous around dogs, especially large ones. Dog-monsters he could understand, but dog-dogs? It didn't help that all five foot two of him wasn't too much bigger than the animal... Regardless, he took the letter, and Gabby wagged her tail harder, giving him a smile.</p>
<p>"Good girl," he bid, giving her a little scratch before locking the door behind him.</p>
<p>Gabby immediately fell to the ground and started wiggling on her back, tail going like a windmill. What did that mean? Black had no idea. He looked at the envelope on his way to the kitchen - handwritten, no postage, addressed to you. Again.</p>
<p>Once Papy had calmed down enough, he had told his brother all about the results of his interrogation. ('Interrogation' was probably too harsh of a word, since there was very little needling and you'd been quite open. Old habits, though). Black wasn't sure what was worse - having no family at all, or one that was actively trying to ruin you. His brother knew the house and the acre and a half it stood on better than Black did, so he had crunched the numbers: the house, the land, and literally everything on it that didn't belong to the skeletons was worth around 1.4 million. It sounded like a lot, but none of it was spendable - it was bricks and mortar, well-kept furniture, and the literal dirt it all stood on.</p>
<p>Even if you sold everything for what it was worth, you'd never again have anything to match it. A house of this size, in this neighbourhood, was easily six- to six-hundred and fifty thousand, and if you wanted a garden and garage the same size, that added a hundred and fifty thousand more, so even without furniture that was a sizeable chunk of the money gone already.</p>
<p>Theoretically, of course. You seemed like a sensible enough person - one who wouldn't buy a house so large that you literally couldn't use most of it by yourself - but a smaller one wouldn't cost that much less. (Black swore he should have gone into real estate, if for no other reason than finally being able to understand where they got these numbers from). If your family got what they wanted, that theoretical 1.4 million would be split evenly however many ways-</p>
<p>Black couldn't help but scoff at that thought. As if such selfish people would ever he happy with an even split.</p>
<p>He opened the letter, knowing that you wouldn't. It was your great aunt - your grandmothers younger sister - telling you about how her son controlled her finances, and she didn't have enough to live on, and her old sister would have wanted her taken care of! Blah blah blah. It was all true, but it left out some important details: such as the fact her spending all weekend at bingo and losing at least a few hundred every time was the reason her son had control of her finances in the first place, and she would be fine if she'd learn how to budget. Her son wasn't too good with finances either, but was more ignorant than malicious, wracking up credit card debts buying stuff he really didn't need.</p>
<p>Of course Black had looked into them. Knowing things was his job.</p>
<p>None of them were downright scum - a few parking tickets, minor drug charges - but in a way that veneer of respectability only made their actions worse. They would all be fine if they would police themselves a bit more, but they wouldn't. They felt entitled to the house, the land, the antiques, because of some familial tie to your grandmother. None of them would pony up to challenge the will in court, but the lawyers Black had spoken to all agreed it would be held up.</p>
<p>Whatever you had told Papy about your mother, he still refused to speak of it. Considering his brothers history with that kind of thing, he couldn't say he was surprised. His own research was very illuminating - both your mother and her husband lived on the state, in a small trailer that they didn't take good care of. They'd probably kill to have a place like this to live in, and inheriting it was the only way it would happen. Your mother had done a grand total of six weeks of work since handing you over to her mother to raise, but always had an excuse - most of them pregnancy related.</p>
<p>You had far more than one sibling. Black was certain you had no idea, and he couldn't tell you without revealing his snooping. (He could <em>never</em> tell his brother, he might just hunt her down and take her apart gene by gene...). He was of course curious about why every last one of them had ended up in care, but he knew from experience he couldn't get to those files without going through a judge, and no judge would consider looking out for his <strike>friend</strike> landlord to be a good reason.</p>
<p>Your problem was a welcome distraction. Reaching through the layers, Black placed the letter on his desk, to be filed away with the rest of them in his box of evidence. And not a moment too soon, as you appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, looking as tired as he felt.</p>
<p>"Thought I heard a voice." you greeted "You're up early, even for you."</p>
<p>"Couldn't sleep." he lied.</p>
<p>"Me neither." you admitted, rolling past him to put the kettle on "I just ended up reading fanfiction all night."</p>
<p>"Oh yeah? Any recommendations?"</p>
<p>"What's your genre?"</p>
<p>"Well, I like anything Napstabot is in."</p>
<p>"Eh," you pulled a face "Fanfiction about real people squicks me out."</p>
<p>"I respect that. What time do you need to start work?"</p>
<p>Your face nearly split in two with the smug, knowing grin that spread across it.</p>
<p>"You forgot." you knew.</p>
<p>Forgot? What could he have forgotten? He didn't forget things, he...!</p>
<p>Oh, wait.</p>
<p>"Oh." he groaned "It's tonight."</p>
<p>"And you're the best monster." you teased "I take it Alphys won't be getting a stripper if you're this much of a scatterbrain about it?"</p>
<p>"Well, excuuuuuse me!" he played along, feigning offence "For your information, we're going to a strip club, so she'll get one regardless of my feelings on the situation!"</p>
<p>"Not a fan, huh?" you noted, grabbing some bread to toast.</p>
<p>"Oh no, I don't know what part I like the most," he went on, voice so thick with sarcasm you could use it as butter "The general air of desperation, the stench of vomit, or the way everything is either sticky, greasy, or sticky <em>and</em> greasy!"</p>
<p>"Oh, god!" you laughed "Why are you going, then? Why not pick something else? Paintball or something?"</p>
<p>"Well, it's just what you do, isn't it?" he excused lamely "Bachelor party, strip club... makes sense, right?"</p>
<p>"You're not burdened with a great imagination, are you?" you noted as you bought your breakfast to the table.</p>
<p>"No." he admitted "I like maths."</p>
<p>"I respect that." you ended, echoing his earlier tone "Not tempted to go back to bed to make the most of your enforced day off?"</p>
<p>"My version of making the most of it does most certainly not include going back to bed. I'll probably go for a run later - fancy joining me?"</p>
<p>Blacks brain kicked in a second or two behind his mouth - as it often did - and a cold shiver ran down his spine when he realised he had asked <em>the person in the wheelchair </em>if they wanted to go on a<em> run</em>...</p>
<p>"That is... I mean..." he backtracked, mouth trying to dig up as his brain flat-lined "I didn't mean 'run', per say... I just... it's like..."</p>
<p>You burst out laughing. Thanks the stars you had a good sense of humour, because neither his mouth or brain were helping him.</p>
<p>"Oh my god, relax." you assured as you tampered it down "I knew what you meant."</p>
<p>"Good thing one of us did." Black sighed.</p>
<p>"I don't have the right type of chair to go 'running'." you told him "I'm not really fit enough either. Thanks for the offer, though."</p>
<p>"Right. I'm going to go change before I say anything else stupid."</p>
<p>"Good luck with that."</p>
<hr/>
<p>Black spent the day doing things around the house - he scraped up all the old wallpaper upstairs and plastered any holes he found, ready to be painted tomorrow, before stripping back decades of varnish and paint flecks on the floorboards, again ready for tomorrow, when he'd cover them in the carpet Papy had picked up. With everything they had bought for the house, they wouldn't have to pay rent for the next two months. It was a strange contract, but he kind of liked it - it made the place feel more like he was living there, rather than it just being another hotel or safe house...</p>
<p>It was the first time all three of you had been home at once. For a little while, anyway - once Papy was awake, the two of you disappeared to take the dog for a walk, and pick up the cakes and decorations for Undynes baby shower. Black wasn't used to having a noisy house, but it was kind of nice, the sound of music drifting through the building as you all got on with your separate, but still joined lives. Laughter as you and Papy decorated the living room. The smell of cooking cheese as you made lunch - cauliflower, not macaroni, and the look on Papy's face was <em>priceless</em>. The scrabble of the dogs claws as she went up and down the stairs with tools, and once or twice a bottle of something cold for him to drink.</p>
<p>It was nice. It was the kind of day he envisioned when he thought about what life outside of the royal guard should be like. Peaceful. Simple.</p>
<p>And then the evening came around.</p>
<p>Strip clubs weren't exactly Black's scene - anywhere he wouldn't want to run a blacklight over the place wasn't his scene - but this was Alphys' big send off into married life, and as her friend and subordinate it was his job to make it memorable. Long sleeves and leather gloves may not be fashionable, but he didn't want to touch <em>anything</em>. He made it work anyway - leather trousers, silk shirt, heeled boots that were high enough to make him taller without being obvious about it... the cologne might be seen as too much, since he didn't exactly expect to get laid tonight, but anything that covered the stench of sweat and chemical air fresheners was fine by him.</p>
<p>"Are you absolutely certain you don't want to come with?"</p>
<p>"i have never been more certain of anything." Papy smarmed, barely concealing his shit-eating grin "besides, i have my orders. the guests will be arriving soon."</p>
<p>"But I-"</p>
<p>"Stop trying to poach my monster of honour!" Undyne yelled at him, looking frazzled as she adjusted her glasses "Just accept your fate already! And don't you dare try the pouty face!"</p>
<p>"I wasn't going to!" Black argued indignantly.</p>
<p>"You're already doing it!"</p>
<p>Further argument was halted when he was gabbed by Alphys, who proceeded to noogie him viciously.</p>
<p>"Dude, let's go!" she yelled "This is our last big night before my kid is born, it could be ten years before the next one! This had better be <em>epic</em>!"</p>
<p>"Don't noogie the skeleton." you urged, trying very hard not to laugh yourself "He's had a busy day."</p>
<p>"Yeah, yeah." Alphys sighed, but released him anyway "I'm gonna go flag our cab down. Have a great party, babe."</p>
<p>The soon-to-be weds nuzzled noses for a second before Alphys went out the front door. Undyne immediately started grumbling, pregnancy apparently not agreeing with her very much, and Papy shuffled her off to have a nap before their guests started to show up, leaving you and Black alone in the foyer.</p>
<p>"Hey, serious talk before you go?" you said to him.</p>
<p>"Sure." he shrugged.</p>
<p>"It's a bachelor party, I know you're going to get drunk." you elaborated "And you're a grown-ass monster, so I won't lecture you about overdoing it. Just know that I'm going to be sober, and I'll be keeping my phone on me all night, okay?"</p>
<p>"Thanks, mum."</p>
<p>"Get outta here." you laughed before turning on your heel and wheeling off to the kitchen.</p>
<p>It was the nature of monsters to love, and Fells were no exception. The circumstances of their lives underground may have made it more difficult for them to express it, but they certainly felt it, and Black was starting to feel it more and more for you. He wasn't sure at first, but he had it figured out now: you treated him like a sibling - you certainly teased him like one - was it possible you might love him like one? Years ago he would have rejected the idea completely, huffed and scoffed and turned his back while screaming at himself internally about how he was screwing up what few friendships he had...</p>
<p>Now, though? He was tired of that. He was tired of the bravado of not being effected by his loneliness. He wanted something real, like what he had with his brother. <strike>Maybe not exactly like that...</strike> Comic had Sam, BB had Reckless, even Axe had his human. He deserved something real too, right? It didn't need to be romance, as long as it was love...</p>
<p>A smack on the other side of the door bought Black back to the here-and-now, your words of concern falling from the forefront of his mind.</p>
<p>"Let's go, already!" Alphys yelled from outside, spurring the skeleton into reluctant action once more.</p>
<hr/>
<p>"Oh my god, where did you find this place?!" Alphys marvelled, taking a good look around the strip club as the two of them entered "It's amazing!"</p>
<p>"My cousin Lust." he answered simply, already annoyed at the strobing lights and glittering confetti that permanently hung in the air, before even noticing the overpowering stench of floral perfume coming off every surface.</p>
<p>"Say no more!" Alphys laughed before noticing the rest of the party in one of the corners "Catty, Bratty!"</p>
<p>The group cheered, raising their glasses as the general rushed over to them. As usual for a party where most of the attendees were soldiers, things were already getting pretty rowdy...</p>
<p>Fuck it. Black didn't want to be a stick in the mud, and letting loose might do him some good. He wasn't a regional commander tonight, and those weren't his soldiers until Monday morning. He ordered a round on drinks on his way over to the group and stopped worrying about anything much at all, at least for a little while. This place may be a little obnoxious, but it was a place to get lost in - bright pink and purple walls and accents, shiny black surfaces, magical bubbles and glitter drifting through the air while the various drinks steamed, glowed, and sometimes let off little explosions.</p>
<p>As he got drunker, everything outside of the party became white noise. He barely noticed the dancers, and the other patrons ceased to exist entirely. More of their soldiers came and went as the night wore on, and Alphys got more than one lap dance. Even Black got treated to one, once he was drunk enough not to be as uptight as usual. There was food at some point - Black wasn't entirely sure what it had been. Pizza? Hot wings? It didn't taste very good, but it was greasy and they were all very drunk, so of course they ate it.</p>
<p>Someone broke out the shots, because of course they did. At some point, he and Alphys got into a drinking contest, seeing who could down a whole pitcher of margaritas first without immediately throwing up, but no-one would ever remember who won. A lot of the night blurred together, not even the customary fist fight in the carpark outside standing out much against the haze of all the alcohol Black had consumed.</p>
<p>Which was why it felt awfully sudden that he found himself sitting at the bar, clutching a glass of what was either vodka or water, he didn't know, with Alphys sat on the stool beside him. The thumping technopop was gone, replaced by the calmer tones of the 'sober up and get out so we can close' music. The lights were higher too. Where was everyone else? Alphys didn't seem to care, pouring herself another tequila and shooting it back before letting out an almost forceful sigh.</p>
<p>"Thanks for the pep talk." she told him earnestly, although he couldn't remember a single word they had said before that point "And you know what? You're right. I am gonna be a <em>great</em> mum. You fucking <em>watch</em>."</p>
<p>"I have every faith in you." he said anyway, picking up the stray strands of the conversation.</p>
<p>Alphys took another shot, slamming the glass down on the shiny black counter. The skeleton took the opportunity to find out what was in his glass. Water. Refreshing.</p>
<p>"Okay, your turn."</p>
<p>Black looked around at his friend, who was looking at him expectantly.</p>
<p>"My turn to what?" he asked.</p>
<p>"<em>Dude</em>." she stressed, giving him a hard look "I know you're not overworking because you need money. You're doing what you always do - burying yourself in your work so you don't have to think about your real problem."</p>
<p>"You know me so well." he laughed.</p>
<p>"You're right, I do." she agreed, shoulder bum,ping him gently "So, talk to me... I'll make it an order if I have to."</p>
<p>Black laughed again, but the sound was hollow. He was lucid, but far, far from sober. His brain was too far gone to even think about standing in the way of his mouth anymore. It was possible that neither of them would even remember this conversation in the morning...</p>
<p>"I'm in love with Papyrus." he said simply.</p>
<p>They just stared at each other while Alphys's equally drunk brain computed that information. Her first reaction was to the push the bottle of tequila away and pull over the pitcher of water the bartender had left them, pouring herself a glass and taking a deep gulp.</p>
<p>"What, uh..." she started, not quite looking at him "What did he say? About that?"</p>
<p>"You don't seriously think I've <em>told</em> him?" Black scoffed.</p>
<p>"Why not?" she asked "Not that I recommend it or anything, but I figured you two didn't have secrets from each other. Fuck, Rus would do anything for you!"</p>
<p>"That's the problem." he admitted "Papy would do anything for me. <em>Anything</em>. Ever since we were little kids, he's given me everything, even if it hurt him to do so. Everything I've ever asked of him..."</p>
<p>Silence fell between them a moment as they considered his words. Papyrus had only joined the guard because his brother wanted to, had only stayed so long despite his PTSD because Black was there and needed him. He had done so, so many things against his nature because it was what his brother had needed.</p>
<p>"What do you think he would do if I told him?" he elaborated anyway, laying everything out in black and white "He'd give me what I wanted... even if he didn't..."</p>
<p>Alphys scratched her arm, trying not to think too hard about the full ramifications of that.</p>
<p>"I want better for him." Black confessed, voice starting to fail him as he stared into his glass "I've tried so, so hard, for so long, to show him that he could depend on me. That I could do things for us, so he didn't have to sacrifice so much. All the time, he was suffering, and I just wanted to be able to share it so he wouldn't hurt so much-!"</p>
<p>A sob escaped his throat, forcing him to pause, and Alphys clapped a hand on his shoulder, rubbing comforting circles in his shoulder blade.</p>
<p>"I know I'm the one who's wrong." he said when he found his voice "And I'm not going to tell him... He's given me so much, I'm not going to take this from him..."</p>
<p>He fell into silence again as Alphys moved to patting his back. Drunk as they both were, it was clear why she had risen to the rank of general and he didn't - her face was hard as she thought, breaking down the information presented to her and formulating a plan, while he lost himself to his self-pity, wondering if he could ask the bartender for that bottle of tequila back.</p>
<p>"That's a lot." she said finally "I can see why you were keeping it to yourself."</p>
<p>For that, she earned a scoff. She called the bartender over and asked for a pen, jotting something down on the scales of her inner arm before her drunk mind could forget about it.</p>
<p>"Monday morning, I'm signing you up for therapy." she announced "That's not up for negotiation. Does Rus have a shrink?"</p>
<p>"He won't go." Black sighed "I've tried."</p>
<p>"I'll make him." Alphys said coolly "Civilian or not, I got ways."</p>
<p>"You can't tell him-!"</p>
<p>"I won't." she promised "As long as you keep going to therapy, capiche?"   </p>
<p>Black just snorted, leaning into his friend as the world around him started to sway.</p>
<p>"We're both too drunk to remember this on monday anyway." he bet.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Fuck, you were tired. You so, so badly wanted to go to sleep.</p>
<p>However, you forced yourself to stay awake, tv on in the corner while you read a book. You couldn't sleep until Black was home, since you told him you'd be sober and by the phone if he needed you. You were subtle about it - you were technically in bed, even if you weren't sleeping, so you could just turn off the light when you heard the front door go.</p>
<p>You knew he was a grown man. You knew he'd probably be fine. That didn't stop you worrying.</p>
<p>It was about 4am that the front door finally opened. Gabby heard it before you did, jumping up to see what the noise was. Judging by the stumbling and shuffling, he was very drunk, but at least he was home. Something crashed to the ground, followed by a soft 'fuck' that made you laugh. After a bit more stumbling, the small skeleton appeared in your doorway, propping himself up on the frame.</p>
<p>"Can't sleep?" he slurred with great difficulty, eye lights unfocused as his head rolled loosely on his shoulders.</p>
<p>"I will soon." you were sure "Did you have a good time?"</p>
<p>He must have, judging by the torn shirt and stench of spilled alcohol wafting from him.</p>
<p>"Did you wait up for me?" he realised, almost tearing up as his voice reached a startlingly high pitch.</p>
<p>"Don't make a big deal of it." you told him "And drink some water before you go to bed, it'll help with the hangover tomorrow."</p>
<p>Pushing himself off the door frame, he wobbled his way over to your bed, practically collapsing onto the ground beside it as he laid his head on your lap, wrapping his arms around your waist.</p>
<p>"I love you." he whined "Can you adopt me?"</p>
<p>"You're older than me!" you laughed.</p>
<p>"Fine, I'll adopt you." he conceded huffily "But someone's getting adopted!"</p>
<p>Gabby didn't know what to make of the sight before her, tilted her head from side to side as you patted the very drunk skeleton on the back.</p>
<p>"Okay, we'll talk about that tomorrow." you chuckled "Time to go to bed."</p>
<p>"Okay." Black agreed, letting out an almighty sigh "Okay..."</p>
<p>Instead of getting up, he eventually let go of your waist, crawled over to the sofabed, and hauled himself up onto it. You thought it might just be a pit stop until you heard the first snore, which again made you laugh. Just was you were pondering your options to wake him up, Rus apparated into the room, looking just as tired as you felt, and scooped his little brother into his arms. He gave you a wink before he disappeared, leaving you alone with Gabby, who once again huffed in doggy indignation before settling down on the rug to go to sleep. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It was very difficult to decide who Black should have that important conversation with. At first I thought about giving him a love interest who's a stripper, and having him vent his drunken spleen to her, but I couldn't think about what else to do with her in the story. Then I thought 'what if we have a cameo with BB?', but having him pop up just for one chapter just to disappear again feels like bad writing.</p>
<p>In the end, I had to defer to the title - Keep It Simple, Stupid!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Keep it Close</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In case it isn't clear, this takes place at the same time as Blacks trip to the strip club</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Perhaps agreeing to host the baby shower had been a step too far.</p>
<p>It wasn't long after Black left that the guests started to arrive - Undynes friends, colleagues from the lab, and any other Undynes (her 'sisters' from the other clans) that lived a reasonable distance away, all piling into their living room with presents and coo's of 'congratulations'. Since it was never guaranteed what a monster baby was going to look like (how many limbs, surprise wings and tails, etc), there was no point in buying baby grows and romper suits as presents, but there was still no shortage of presents to be given - blankets, tiny plates and bottles, parenting books, big round toys that jingled and lit up, soft toys with baby-safe eyes, and even a few things for Undyne herself, such as a foot bath and various oils and creams to spoil herself with.</p>
<p>It was all very civilised and friendly. Some blue jokes, of course, but that was only to be expected. Rus had been fine at first.</p>
<p>The pain had grown gradually, over the course of the night. A twinge here, a jolt there. He could handle it. Undyne was a very close friend, and this was her big announcement to the world of her very first child. He could handle it. His ribs were starting to ache. He could handle it. Were they hoping for a girl? Why wasn't Alphys here too? Oh, they were going to switch after the baby was born and have a bachelorette party? That was awesome! How long until the baby was born? Rus could handle it. The happy talk. The adorable patterns on the blankets. The teeny-tiny hats. He could handle it. He could handle it. <em>He could handle it.</em></p>
<p>Until he couldn't. It was the tiny shoes that had done it, hardly big enough to fit the end of his thumb. Suddenly he was in his bathroom upstairs, vomiting bright orange magic into the old toilet. Stars, it burned. He had been so busy convincing himself he was okay, he had missed the warning signs - shaking hands, sweaty skull, the static noise at the edges of his hearing. He was starting to shut down... fuck, he couldn't do this <em>now!</em></p>
<p>"Rus?"</p>
<p>Oh god. He responded to his friends voice by throwing up again, clutching the cold porcelain. He heard Undyne sigh, almost like letting out a long-held breath, before she crossed the room and started rubbing soothing circles into his back.</p>
<p>"You should have told me you weren't okay." she pointed out.</p>
<p>"i am." he insisted tensely "... i was... i will be..."</p>
<p>"Rus-"</p>
<p>Spinning around, he grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to her knees by the strength of it - she was shocked by the sudden assertive movement, but he <em>needed</em> her to understand.</p>
<p>"dee, i <em>am</em> happy for you!" he insisted "i am!"</p>
<p>To his surprise, her face softened, and she laid one of her delicate blue hands over his.</p>
<p>"You know they aren't mutually exclusive, right?" she told him "You can be happy for me while <em>also</em> not being okay, you know?"</p>
<p>That... hadn't occurred to him. It felt like too complicated an emotion to exist, he didn't know how to express it. Undyne seemed to understand anyway, laying her other hand over his soul.</p>
<p>"I know you care." she told him "And I know you're trying to take care of me, because that's your nature. But it's okay. I have Alphys, I have my sisters. Everything is okay. You have my permission to put some distance between us for a while."</p>
<p>"i don't want that." he knew immediately.</p>
<p>"But you need it." she knew "Isn't that what your retirement was all about? Doing what you need to do to get right with yourself?"</p>
<p>His hands were shaking again. Damn it, why did she have to understand him? Why couldn't she just turn the other way and let him do what he was used to? Everything would be okay then!</p>
<p>
  <strike>No, it wouldn't. That was why he was here in the first place.</strike>
</p>
<p>"Come back downstairs." Undyne urged as she stood up, grabbing his hands as if to pull him after her.</p>
<p>"i can't go back to the party." he knew.</p>
<p>"You don't have to. A house this big has a downstairs bathroom, right?"</p>
<p>"yeah, but-"</p>
<p>"Then it's fine. C'mon, get up."</p>
<p>Rus suddenly felt very drained, not having the mental energy to fight her on this. The only bathroom downstairs was your en-suite, which he had never been in before. He hoped you'd be cool with him hanging out there - there was a good chance he'd throw up again, it was better for him to be somewhere that wouldn't stain. Undyne led him there before he realised, and he found himself staring at the clean blue tiles, thinking how inviting they looked.</p>
<p>"what difference does it make?" he wandered aloud "here or upstairs?"</p>
<p>"Isn't it obvious?" his friend asked.</p>
<p>She tugged his hand just enough to get his attention, and he looked into her patient eyes.</p>
<p>"I need to tend to my guests." she pointed out "I'll tell them you have food poisoning."</p>
<p>Rus let out a hollow laugh. That was believable enough.</p>
<p>"Also..." she winced, pointing at his hoodie "There's sick on your front."</p>
<p>He looked at his top as she left, letting out a soft swear. At least it was a dark colour, it probably wouldn't stain. He ripped it off anyway, throwing it aside. Sure, this wasn't his bathroom, and he'd usually have a bit more discretion, but right now... right now he didn't care. Walking to the sink, he splashed some cold water on his face, willing away the urge to vomit that even now threatened to make his knees buckle. </p>
<p>It was nice in here. It was clean and smelled like scented soap, the tiles and accents just nice enough to distract from the various railings and safety devices that dominated the walls.</p>
<p>As the skeleton dried his face, he caught sight of himself in the mirror above the sink. He looked like trash. He was surprised when he realised it had been a while since he had looked that bad. Maybe retirement was doing him some good after all.</p>
<p>His chest suddenly started to burn again, making him wince, and the blood-orange glow of his magic started to flash from under his vest.</p>
<p>Shit.</p>
<p>He tore it off, discarding it with his hoodie on the floor. He took in the sternum of his sturdy ribcage, where the spiders web of deep scars spiralled out over the various bones, making him look like he was made of crackled china. They were glowing every so slightly, and when the light flared his bones burned, the need to vomit once again overcoming him. He just made it to the toilet, knees hitting the tiles so hard that either they or his kneecaps had cracked - he wasn't sure which right now.</p>
<p>He heard laughter from the party in the front room. He was too vulnerable like this. He shouldn't be alone right now. He couldn't be alone right now.</p>
<p><strike>He couldn't call his brother home. It was so rare that he went out just to have fun, he couldn't ruin that.</strike>  </p>
<p>"Rus?"</p>
<p>The skeleton flinched at the sudden voice, soft as it was. His back was visible, making him vulnerable to attack, and he was incapacitated with the pain in his chest, he couldn't-!</p>
<p>A wet nose pressed against the side of his head, followed by the sound of sniffling and a cautious lick.</p>
<p>Gabby.</p>
<p>The dog was here.</p>
<p><em>He</em> was <em>here</em>. </p>
<p>He wasn't going to be attacked. That was your voice. He could have laughed from how stupid he was, if he wasn't so traumatised.</p>
<p>"Gabby, come away." you urged the dog as you wheeled into the small room "Give him some space."</p>
<p>Rus could have cried - he had someone else to focus on now.</p>
<p>Forcing his aching bones around, he found you with a bottle of water in your lap, waiting patiently for his attention. Your eyes darted to his chest a moment before settling resolutely on his face.</p>
<p>"I bought you some water." you pointed out "I thought it might help."</p>
<p>Rus just nodded, not trusting his voice yet, and you uncapped it before handing it to him. He could tell from the look on your face that you suspected Undyne's food poisoning story was a lie, but you wouldn't ask. You never asked. You were the soul of discretion, heh.</p>
<p>"Undyne said she could handle the guests." you told him "That I should stay with you. Is there anything I can do?"</p>
<p>'Isn't it obvious?', Undyne had said. You couldn't get upstairs, so he needed to be downstairs. That was pretty obvious.</p>
<p>He hated those damn stairs.</p>
<p>His chest burned again, the glow flaring up, bad enough to make him hiss. You were immediately on alert, no doubt not used to monstrous health issues.</p>
<p>"Holy shit!" you swore as you flustered "What the fuck?! Do you need a doctor?! Should I call an ambulance?! Do you-"</p>
<p>He grabbed your hand to calm you, holding it as gently as he could until the pain died down. You were so cute, you really were.</p>
<p>"there's nothing a doctor could do." he told you, exhaling deeply as the burning subsided "these wounds are old. this will stop soon enough."</p>
<p>"What caused it?" you asked innocently, before realising what you had actually said "Wait, you don't have to answer that-"</p>
<p>"would it upset you if i wanted to?"</p>
<p>You seemed just as shocked as he was. He hadn't been expecting those words to leave his mouth, but now that they had... it was okay. It was right. If anything, he soul felt calmed by the idea of being vulnerable around you. Your eyes darted to and fro a moment, before you looked at the hand he still held. You moved it to your lap, holding it in both of yours.</p>
<p>"I'll listen." you decided "If you need to talk, I'll always listen."</p>
<p>Rus couldn't help but smile. In his soul, he felt like that was the truth.</p>
<p>It took him a moment to find his words. He had never spoken of this to someone who hadn't been there at the time. Where would he even start?</p>
<p>"our underground," he decided "it was the last one to be freed... things down there were pretty rough for us."</p>
<p>You nodded, following along.</p>
<p>"m'lord and i were orphans. all we had was each other, and he was just a kid... the best way i could provide for him was to join the royal guard. it was always hiring. <em>always</em>. i had to lie about my age, but i was always pretty tall."</p>
<p>Looking back, knowing exactly how young he had been, he couldn't believe he had fooled anyone. Perhaps he hadn't.</p>
<p>"the general at the time - general river - they found out how old i was. i wasn't the only one, not by a long shot, but we all had good reasons, people who were relying on us... alphys was the same, back then... general river turned a blind eye to it, until they found someone they liked."</p>
<p>Your hands twitched. He could tell you already knew where this was going.</p>
<p>"so, river pulls me aside, says they know all about me lying. that they'll keep my secret in return for... favours."</p>
<p>Your hands tightened over his. You had one hell of a poker face, a mask of patient concern covering you even as rage and disgust started to roil from your soul.</p>
<p>"i actually didn't mind." he admitted, noting your only reaction was an eye twitch "we both got what we wanted: they got a new toy, and i got extra food and protection for my bro. win-win, right?"</p>
<p>He let out a hollow chuckle. What a fool he had been.</p>
<p>"accidents will happen, though." he said "especially when you're young. i was so shocked when i found out i was pregnant..."</p>
<p>He remembered it well. His anger, his confusion, his fear... so, so much fear.</p>
<p>"despite how bad everything was, i... i wanted it." he confessed "the only good thing in my life was my bro. seeing him grow and achieve his dreams made me so happy, like everything was worth it. i figured... if it was my own child, it would be even better, right? i'd be even happier?"</p>
<p>Just thinking about it made him want to shake his younger self for being so naive. Of course he couldn't have raised a baby at that point in his life. He certainly would have tried, knowing him, but it would most likely have ended even worse than it eventually did.</p>
<p>"it was surprising how long i was able to hide it." he went on "i was such a skinny brat. i honestly thought i was getting away with it. i was even starting to think of names..."</p>
<p>Names he could still remember, even now.</p>
<p>"then i had a bout of bad morning sickness during an exercise and got sent to the sick bay. the guard found out about the baby. so did general river... you could imagine they weren't exactly pleased."</p>
<p>He scraped the very ends of his fingers over the web of cracks that lay exposed on his chest. They were still sensitive to the touch, and would sting when the temperature dropped too low.</p>
<p>"general river was one of the strongest monsters in the underground, and i was just some dumb kid... it was a miracle<em> i</em> survived."</p>
<p>"But you lost the baby." you finished for him, voice surprisingly steady for the maelstrom of emotions your soul was projecting.</p>
<p>"not just that." he confirmed "my soul was so badly damaged, i... i can never..."</p>
<p>He couldn't finish. He couldn't say it out loud. You understood, right? He finally chanced looking into your eyes, and he found you holding back tears. You might not be able to feel his soul, but you felt his pain, didn't you?</p>
<p>"i don't fall apart like this every time someone i know has a baby." he swore "i mean, can you even imagine? i'd never get anything done! but i think... i think the baby shower was too much..."</p>
<p>"Rus..." you breathed "I... fuck man, what do I do? I know I can't fix this, but I want to help? I don't know what I can do to help you..."</p>
<p>The skeleton found himself smiling, despite the pain of events long past in his soul. You really were so cute.</p>
<p>"can i ask you for something unreasonable?" he requested.</p>
<p>"Un...?" you went to repeat, before glomming onto the fact there was indeed something you could "Of course! Anything you want!"</p>
<p>"let me hold you?"</p>
<p>"You... just want a hug?" you clarified, already holding up you arms "There's nothing unreasonable about that."</p>
<p>"heh, not quite." </p>
<p>Rus grabbed you under your armpits and lifted you out of your chair. You immediately grabbed his arms to steady yourself, torn between your hate of being carried, your vulnerability in his hands, and the fact that you had already agreed to something unreasonable. He sat you down on the cold tiles between his legs, making sure yours were in a reasonable position, before wrapping his arms around you and holding you close to his chest. You were tense for a few moments, unhappy to find yourself on the floor, before you relaxed into his embrace, wrapping your arms around his back.</p>
<p>Your body was soft and warm in a way his brothers wasn't. Even holding lovers he'd had in the past didn't feel as... intimate as this did. Was it because of how vulnerable he was feeling right now? Especially since he still wasn't wearing a shirt.</p>
<p>"May I... ask you something?" you said carefully.</p>
<p>"sure."</p>
<p>"What happened to General River?"</p>
<p>"the queen found out what happened." he recalled "she was a tyrant, to be sure, but the bitch had a real soft spot for kids. it was about her only redeeming feature, to be honest. any crime committed against a child was a death sentence, and when the kid hadn't even been born yet... she executed river herself."</p>
<p>Not able to see your face at this angle, it was difficult for him to gauge your reaction. Even the emotions still radiating from your soul were all over the place. </p>
<p>"Good." you finally replied.</p>
<p>He had never heard you sound so venomous, even when talking about... that person who hurt you, who he wasn't even going to think about right now.</p>
<p>Rus squeezed you a little tighter, the two of you settling into silence as you sat on the cold bathroom floor, listening to the muffled happy chatter of the party in the other room, for quite some time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The truth about Rus's past is revealed. Perhaps now he'll let himself start healing...</p>
<p>perhaps.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Keep it Healthy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Black, quite understandably, had one bitch of a hangover the next day. He even slept until noon, something sober him found completely abhorrent! After the ceremonial greasy fry up and solemn oath to never drink again, he spent the rest of the day finishing off the walls and floors upstairs. His brother was being a little clingy, making a nuisance of himself as Black tried to lay the new carpet, but he didn't mind - he had been worried about how Rus would handle the baby shower, and if being a little clingy was the worst of it, then he was more than happy.</p><p>Needless to say, he forgot all about the conversation he had had with Alphys.</p><p>Hence his surprise when he arrived at his office on Monday morning to find her in his chair, leafing through the box of evidence he was keeping on your relatives.</p><p>"Do I need to be worried about this?" she asked by way of greeting.</p><p>"Just covering my bases. It could be nothing, but if it isn't then I want to be prepared."</p><p>"You never change." Alphys sighed, throwing the latest letter back on the desk "Just don't abuse your power as regional commander, it'll make the guard look bad."</p><p>"I wouldn't do that." he pouted "Why are you here so early anyway?"</p><p>The general levelled him with a careful look. Searching, but not quite prying. She seemed to come to a decision as she stood up, rolled up her sleeve, and showed him the inside of her arm, where the ghost of the biro pen spelled out a clear message. Black, who was used to his friends chicken-scratch handwriting, felt himself go cold as he deciphered it.</p><p>"Anything to say about this?" she challenged.</p><p>"... At least it's not a tattoo?"</p><p>"Cute." she said as she flicked his skull "You have ten minutes to clear your schedule for the day. Dr. Ricci is waiting for you on the third floor. Don't make me escort you."</p><hr/><p>It seemed Dr. Ricci also had her schedule for the day forcibly cleared, judging by the frantic and apologetic secretary on the phone outside her office. Black had to commend her professionalism as she hid her annoyance, clearing her desk of what files she had prepared for the day in order to deal with him.</p><p>"If it's any consolation, this was a surprise to me too." he said lamely.</p><p>"These things happen, commander." the doctor assured "It's a sad fact of my job that new cases are coming in all the time. I was happy to make you an appointment without the general strong arming me into cancelling all my other patients."</p><p>"...Sorry..."</p><p>He didn't want to mention that that was pretty typical for her - he got the feeling that nepotism being the reason Alphys was being so bullish about this wouldn't exactly endear him to Dr. Ricci.</p><p>"Anyway, let's not get off on a bad note." she suggested as she gathered up the materials needed for a new file "Have a seat on the sofa there. I find that taking off your shoes often helps you be more open."</p><p>"I would prefer not to." Black admitted, although he did sit as instructed.</p><p>"Suit yourself. The important thing is that you're comfortable."</p><p>After a few more minutes of organising, Dr. Ricci sat herself in the armchair facing the sofa, a small coffee table acting as a bridge to the side. It was a clever bit of psychology - put the table between them like you would in any regular living room and it would make a barrier, something for the patient to hide behind. By putting it to the side, they still had a table to put files and drinks on, but it also made the sitting area feel more like an alcove - a safe, private place.</p><p>Dr. Ricci herself was similarly strategically turned out - dressed in disarming pastels and beige like any professional in healthcare, but with little quirks in her accessories that defied the uniform. Her watch, for example, was designed so that the cogs and gears in the face were visible. Her earrings were elephants. When he chanced a look at her face, Black saw her dark eyes examining him just as intently as he was her, making him look away.</p><p>"If you're ready, we'll get started." she suggested "First off, what would you prefer that I call you? I find that addressing my patients by their ranks can often be counterproductive, so I'd prefer to avoid calling you 'commander.'"</p><p>"... Sans is fine." he conceded.</p><p>"Alright, Sans." she agreed "So, what usually happens during the first session is us just getting to know each other a little bit. You would tell me what you think the problem is, and what it is you expect from your treatment. Then I give you a few options on how to proceed, and you pick the one you're most comfortable with going forward. This usually takes about an hour, but since you and I have all day, we might be able to get into some deeper discussions. Is that alright with you?"</p><p>"Sure."</p><p>"Have you ever been to therapy before?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"So this will all be new for you." she noted, writing something in the file on her lap "What's important for you to remember is that therapy is a conversation, and we won't make any progress unless both of us are as open and honest as possible with each other."</p><p>"So I can ask you questions?"</p><p>"Do you have any?"</p><p>Black was conflicted. It was his natural compulsion to clam up, to not give anything away and insist nothing was wrong. It was the way he was. It was the way Fells were. It had kept him alive up until now, hadn't it? </p><p>But then he thought of his brother, and what a mess internalising his trauma had made of him. His brother wanted to get better, even if he was stubborn about it. He wanted to be able to be strong for him, and if that meant he had to take some lumps himself, wouldn't it be worth it? Alphys certainly believed in this stuff, and that had to count for something, right?</p><p>He couldn't help a lifetime of second guessing and paranoia, though.</p><p>"Will anything I say to you get passed on to anyone else?" he asked the doctor.</p><p>"Not unless I believe you to be a danger to yourself or others." she replied honestly.</p><p>"Not even General Alphys?"</p><p>"Sans, everything you say to me is completely confidential, no matter what it is or who it's about. Asgore himself can't get access to my files without going through the courts."</p><p>Black let out a humourless laugh. Sometimes he forgot that the monarchy here was worth a damn, and actually respected the laws they laid down. So unlike where he was from...</p><p>"Any other questions?" Dr. Ricci asked.</p><p>"Not for now." he confirmed.</p><p>"Then why don't you tell me what bought you here?"</p><p>He didn't answer right away. Where could he even begin? His whole life had been a patchwork of trauma, who could even say what pieces connected to each other any more? Dr. Ricci was patient, letting him find his words. He had never (soberly) said it out loud, and that unhelpful voice in the back of his head was still telling him that he was fine, that he could handle this alone, that he was just wasting the doctors time when she had actual patients she should have been dealing with.</p><p>"For what it's worth," he started "I wouldn't have made you cancel all you appointments today over this."</p><p>The doctor remained quiet. She knew it wasn't unusual for higher functioning patients to downplay their issues in the beginning, and all she needed to do was let him talk.</p><p>Black had come this far, despite his nature. This was a military doctor, she was sure to have heard worse, right? Even if he was completely sick, the fact that he wanted to get better would stop her judging him too harshly, wouldn't it? There was no point in being coy, not if he wanted help. He might as well rip the bandage off, as it were.</p><p>"I have..." he started, voice almost refusing to come out "Romantic inclinations... for a close relative..."</p><p>Fuck, even saying that was like eating pins. What could Dr. Ricci even say to make this better? She probably thought he needed to be locked up!</p><p>"Sibling?" she enquired.</p><p>"Yes." he confirmed. </p><p>"Older or younger?"</p><p>Black just looked at her. Her face was a mask of calm, and she wasn't even writing in her pad. Where was the disgust? The revulsion? The... anything?</p><p>"... You don't seem surprised..." he noted.</p><p>"You're a Fell, aren't you Sans?" she clarified, still calm as anything.</p><p>"... Yes?"</p><p>"This particular problem isn't that unusual for Fells." she told him "I currently have four separate patients - not including you - that are presenting with this."</p><p>"... You're fucking with me, right?"</p><p>Blacks whole body had gone cold. This...wasn't happening, right?  This wasn't a real <em>thing</em>, was it? He wasn't just sick in the head, this was an actual, medically known, diagnoseable thing? It seemed Dr. Ricci had had this conversation before, as she knew exactly what to say to ease his churning emotions.</p><p>"What are monsters made of?" she pointed out "Love. Compassion. When they find themselves in a society that works in a way counter to their nature, like any of the Fell clans, things tend to go a little haywire. Even humans will suffer mentally when forced to go against their nature, and that's not even including the other issues associated with a Fell upbringing. Are you and your sibling orphans?"</p><p>"Yes." he confirmed, hardly believing his ears "Brother... older."</p><p>"I'll bet he raised you, didn't he?" Dr. Ricci somehow knew "Through everything terrible that you both went through, he took care of you. He even still treats you like a little kid now and then, despite you  being a commander in the royal guard."</p><p>"... Get out of my head."</p><p>The doctor laughed a little, but Black didn't find any of this funny. How the fuck did she pin him down so perfectly? So quickly?  He felt like he was sitting here with his soul out, and he didn't care for it at all.</p><p>"Monsters are made of love." Dr. Ricci repeated "But when there's so few people it's safe to show that love to, it's not unusual for a monster to hyper-fixate on them. Do you and your brother live together?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Did you ever work together?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Does he have a nickname for you?"</p><p>"... M'lord."</p><p>"And I'll bet he loves you more than anything else in the whole world." she finished with a knowing smile "Even to his own detriment."</p><p>"I don't like this." Black admitted, his whole body flushing hot and cold "Have you been spying on us?"</p><p>"Entire books have been written on this phenomenon, Sans." the doctor assured "One of them by me. Your case is pretty typical."</p><p>'Typical'... Exactly how many monsters were going through this? Why hadn't he heard about this before? Knowing things was his job!</p><p>More importantly, if his case was 'typical', then there was a treatment, right? </p><p>"Then... you can fix me?" he dared ask.</p><p>"You aren't broken, Sans." she assured him with gentle authority "But I will help you untangle that mess in your head, help you see things straight again. Does that sound good?"</p><p>This was happening. This was happening. He could fix this, he could make it stop!</p><p>"Yes, Doctor, it does." he said certainly.</p><p>"Wonderful." she smiled, turning back to her pad "Let's discuss your treatment options."</p><hr/><p>There was one thing, besides sweets, that Rus was guaranteed to eat. People forgot that he held himself tightly, rolling his shoulders in and slouching, so people wouldn't realise how big he really was. You didn't build a body like his on sugar and barbecue sauce.</p><p>Alphys long ago stopped wondering where he put all the salad. He was crazy about the stuff - lettuce, raw onion, beetroot, sweetcorn, you name it. If it was even slightly wilted then he wouldn't touch it, but he could zero in on the freshest, juiciest salad foods in any eating establishment. As she watched her friend of many years fill his face with his fourth bowl of salad from the buffet, Alphys wondered exactly why Black had such trouble getting him to eat. </p><p>"Do they not feed you at home?" she asked.</p><p>"eh, there's food." he confirmed "but you know how m'lord is - it's all fatty, greasy stuff. once in a while is okay, but everyday?"</p><p>A thought seemed to occur to him, as he looked away from his plate in concern.</p><p>"you think if i had insisted he eat better as a kid, he'd be taller now?" he asked.</p><p>"Probably not." she admitted, taking a sip of her water - the only thing she still had left of her lunch "Speaking of your brother - I've signed him up with a guard therapist."</p><p>"why?" Rus asked nonchalantly.</p><p>If anything, his attitude only pissed her off. Mr Overprotective's lack on concern just confirmed what she had suspected.</p><p>"So you did notice something was wrong with him." she accused.</p><p>Rus shrugged, finishing his mouthful before replying.</p><p>"he was trying real heard to keep it a secret." he excused.</p><p>"So you were just going to sit back and let him suffer?"</p><p>"it's just a phase. it'll pass."</p><p>"He's not a kid!" Alphys snapped, tail smacking the ground like a whip before she remembered they were in public.</p><p>Taking a second to calm herself, something even more annoying occurred to her.</p><p>"You knew." she realised.</p><p>There was no way he couldn't know. Rus had been one of the best intelligence operatives of their time, and no-one knew Black better than he did. He probably knew what was going on even before his brother did. The dry look he levelled at Alphys was the only confirmation she needed.</p><p>"You're a son of a bitch." she scoffed.</p><p>"probably." he agreed "but this is the first time he's tried to keep a secret from me since he learned how to masturbate. isn't that progress? him wanting to keep a secret and me not prying into it?"</p><p>"This is exactly the reason you need fucking therapy." Alphys spat "Your definition of 'progress' is fucked."</p><p>"so that's why you bought me lunch." he concluded "this again."</p><p>"Your brother listened to me-"</p><p>"i don't need therapy." Rus interrupted "and now i'm a civilian, you can't make me."</p><p>At this, Alphys grinned, showing off her many sharp teeth. A woman had her ways.</p><hr/><p>"Whatcha reading?"</p><p>Black looked up from his book as you rolled over, hair still damp from the shower. After leaving Dr. Ricci's office, he had sought out the books she had mentioned, to see how bad of an epidemic this problem really was. He didn't need to make excuses about why he was buying them - as regional commander, being aware of stuff like this was his job, right? He showed you the book without a second thought, monitoring the look in your face.</p><p>Distaste.</p><p>"Ah, this." you mentioned.</p><p>"You've heard of it?" he asked.</p><p>"This and that." you confessed "It's rare that I get them, but the crisis line deals with incest cases quite a bit."</p><p>"Are many of them Fells?" </p><p>"Can't say I've looked into it, but it wouldn't surprise me - trauma manifests itself in all sorts of strange ways."</p><p>"You think it's a trauma response?"</p><p>"Hey, I'm not a psychologist." you excused as you gave him back his book "I don't have any of the answers. I mean, what's the difference between someone with FIRS and just a regular abusive scumbag?"</p><p>Black just hummed as he took it back. Fell Internal Romantic Syndrome was something completely new to him, and the idea that so many studies had already been done on it blew his mind.</p><p>He had his own ideas, of course, but he wasn't ready to talk about it. At least, not outside Dr. Ricci's office. You and Papy were both smart, there was every chance you'd figure out he had it, and he was nowhere near ready to deal with that.</p><p>"The majority of the guard is made up of Fells." he pointed out "Even if the issue is small, we still need to tackle it."</p><p>"In a couple of generations, no-one will be left who remembers the undergrounds." you pointed out "With all the clans intermarrying and having kids, pretty soon which underground your ancestors came from won't mean anything. Fells, Swaps, Birds, Dancers... they'll just be words."</p><p>"That's then." Black supposed "I need to deal with what's happening now."</p><p>To his surprise, you just gave him a teasing smile.</p><p>"You're such a pragmatist."</p><p>"Somebody has to be."</p><p>With the shuffle of keys, the front door opened. Gabby immediately jumped up to greet Rus, only to stop dead in her tracks, letting out a low, cautious growl.  </p><p>"Rus?" you called, not able to see the front door from where there two of you were in the living room.</p><p>"it's me." he called back.</p><p>"Why is Gabby growling?"</p><p>"well..." he started, still not having appeared "don't be mad..."</p><p>Nothing good ever came after those words. Throwing his books into the totebag at his feet, Black got up off the sofa and readied himself to be mad.</p><p>As Rus walked into the room, it wasn't immediately clear what the issue was. Yes, he had four very large bags stuffed full of items in one hand, but there was nothing wrong with that. There didn't seem to be anything in his other hand, strangely, and he was holding it up to... his... shoulder...</p><p>"Papy, what is that?" Black asked flatly.</p><p>"a puppy." he replied.</p><p>"Why do you have a puppy?"</p><p>Did he forget they were renting?! He couldn't just bring wildlife home!</p><p>"Oh my god!" you cried in delight, startling them both "Look how fluffy! Is it a Pomeranian?!"</p><p>"it's a teacup pomeranian." he told you, sporting the worst shit-eating grin Black had ever seen "her name's gidget!"</p><p>"Can I hold her?!"</p><p>You didn't care. Great. Now he couldn't tell him off without being the bad guy.</p><p>Rus dropped the bags, which were no doubt full of things for the dog, and knelt down to deposit the tiny ball of fluff and eyes on your lap, where it immediately started to paw at you with its stubby legs.</p><p>"Oh my god, so cute!" you squeed.</p><p>It seemed Gabby had the same opinion as Black, as she fixed the newcomer with some serious stink-eye. She could probably inhale that thing.</p><p>"Papy, why do you have a puppy?" he repeated.</p><p>"alphys gave her to me." he explained, not taking his eyes from the animal "on the condition that i go to therapy once a week. if i don't turn up, she'll confiscate her."</p><p>That crafty bitch...</p><p>"It's technically against your lease." you pointed out "But since I have a dog, it's not a rule I can really enforce. It's just something the rental agency insisted on."</p><p>"so i can keep her?"</p><p>"As long as you go to therapy once a week." you teased.</p><p>"yay!" Rus declared, nuzzling the top of your head "gabby, come meet your new sister!"</p><p>... what the hell was that? Did he just kiss you? And that tone of voice was different to when you teased Black. Was there something going on between you?</p><p>Black suddenly felt very lonely. You two spent a lot of time together, every day, it was only natural you would become close, but... he hadn't anticipated this. You guys looked good together, too.</p><p>
  <strike>But if you were with his brother, what would happen to him?</strike>
</p><p>He was snapped out of his thoughts when Gabby nudged him, pressing her cold nose against his cheek.</p><p>"GAH!" He shrieked, desperately wiping it off "Gross!"</p><p>"bro, come hold gidget." Rus encouraged as you laughed.</p><p>"No, keep that rat away from me!"</p><p>"it's a baby~"</p><p>"It's a rat!"</p><p>You just continued to laugh as they bickered, Gidget and Gabby giving each other cautious sniffs on your lap. If Gidget was going to be as good a girl as Gabby was one day, then the older dog had a lot to teach her. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I have no strong feelings on fontcest, but I know some people do, and I understand why. Nothing in this story is intended to excuse or glamourize incest.<br/>The entire 'underfell' and 'swapfell' concept goes so against what monsters are in canon (ie, made of love), that I can't help but think it would mess them up in more ways than just the obvious. How would beings genetically hardwired to love cope in a society where that was a liability? Rus was able to express himself through his almost parental love for his brother, but since Black was the youngest he's still looking for an outlet.</p><p>I wonder where he'll find it...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Keep it Together</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"so by the time i got home, the curtains were on fire, the ice cream was all over the ceiling, and the chicken had laid four eggs." Rus finished, voice shockingly deadpan even as you were losing it "needless to say, we decided to go out next year."</p><p>"But what happened to the chicken?!" you managed to gasp between laughter.</p><p>"oh, that's an entire different story-"</p><p>You knew what he was doing, of course - he was keeping you laughing to distract from the fact he was pushing your chair. </p><p>You had heard of the makers market that took place in the valleys once a month, but as would be suggested by a place known as 'the valleys', it was quite a hilly area. That would be a pain in the ass even on your best day, and after a long work week? Well, you had never bothered. Hills and wheelchairs were not good friends.</p><p>However, now that your friends had properly settled into the house, the upstairs repairs coming along in good order now that Black was taking at least one day a week off (under orders of his therapist), they wanted to see more of the area, get a taste for the local flavour. All the better to find their own place to live, eventually...</p><p>You knew from the start their stay with you was temporary, but you weren't exactly rushing them out, either. It was amazing how quickly they had assimilated into your life, almost as if they had always been there.</p><p>Rus had designated today a 'family outing', and the group had gotten quite a few double takes on the train. The older brother had even bought one of those hoodies that had a front pocket to put cats in, which Gidget seemed more than happy to ride in, just sticking her head and occasionally front paws out of the top. You could tell how impressed Gabby was from the way she kept staring at her, probably trying to figure out if the ball of fluff and eyes that was Gidget actually was a cat in disguise. Even off duty, Black dressed impeccably, his jeans and button shirt so pressed that it looked like he was going on a date.</p><p>"Did you have to wear crocs?" he grumbled at his brother, staring out the window like he was trying to pretend he wasn't part of the group.</p><p>"they're comfy." Rus shrugged.</p><p>"You look like Stretch."</p><p>"maybe he has the right idea."</p><p>"Wait wait, you guys have a cousin named 'stretch'?" you asked "How on earth did he get a name like that?"</p><p>And thus had the distractions begun, Black ranting on and on about their cousin Stretch and his 'last two brain cells', which Rus explained were his brother BB and his friend. By the time the train arrived at Valley Station, they were telling you all about the various Gyftmas disasters they'd had as a family, most of them food related. The laughing helped you feel less uncomfortable, even as you clutched your hands firmly in your lap to stop yourself grabbing the wheels.</p><p>Immediately out of the station was a hill, which led up to the high street. Hopefully that would be flatter.</p><p>The market was busy, but not too much so. The booths were a little ramshackle, but since they were all custom made to suit the monsters that ran them, that was perhaps to be expected. The boys stopped before entering the market proper, silent for just long enough to make you concerned.</p><p>"Everything okay?" you asked, looking around.</p><p>They both looked pensive. Did they not like crowds? Surely they had to expect one at such an event.</p><p>Without a word, they switched places, Black taking the handles of your chair. You could understand how it might be uncomfortable for Rus, since he had to stoop down a bit in order to push you, and when he stood at his full height he could be quite imposing.</p><p>"trade with me." he suggested easily, picking Gidget out of his pocket and reaching for Gabby's lead.</p><p>You didn't quite understand, but... if it made them feel better.</p><p>The monsters that lived in the valleys were odd looking, even for the admittedly wide variety of appearances a monster could have. With perhaps a few exceptions, they had all been survivors of Queen Undynes underground, and the famine that ravished it had changed them in innumerable ways. (Some people referred to them as the 'Horror' clan, but you point blank refused to do so.) Mixed in with them, Black and Rus looked like angels among demons, perfectly shaped and immaculate beside twisted and deformed.</p><p>No wonder the crisis line had a physical branch here.</p><p>In spite of their appearance, they behaved just like any other monsters - friendly, loud, and more aware of their personal space than your fellow humans were. It was easy to plod through the crowd without interference, perhaps because Rus was taking the lead with the dog while you and Black followed behind. It kind of felt like you were being escorted...</p><p>"Oh my god, what is that smell?" you wondered, taking a deep wiff of the air around you "Please let it be edible."</p><p>"Mm, smells like Snowdin Stew." Black told you "I know what I'm having for lunch."</p><p>A lot of the market was food, but it was damn good food: artisan cheese, gourmet pies, fine meats, you name it. You really had to keep a tight hold of your purse, or else you might just have bought it all. Monster food didn't go bad, so there was nothing stopping you except for the reality of what the boys could carry (and you'd seen Rus carry <em>a lot</em>), but alas, you had to be an adult.</p><p>That didn't stop Black, though. You had to wonder how he kept that trim figure of his with the amount you saw him eat, and he was using this opportunity to try <em>all</em> of the free samples as you wondered around. Anything he liked, he bought, and he liked quite a bit. The only struggle for Rus was Gabby, who tried to drag him over to any cheese stall she could smell. There were also a few handicraft stalls mixed in, such as leathercraft, handmade jewellery, and the like. It was all pretty impressive.</p><p>Rus suddenly stopped, causing Black (and by extension you) to skid to a halt too. Before him was an organic produce stall, which for some reason also sold eggs, and was staffed by another skeleton monster. He was kind of scary to look at, square and looming with a single red eye light and jagged hole in his skull, standing just under Rus' height. However, the effect was lessened somewhat by the chicken sat on his shoulder.</p><p>"hey, cuz." Rus greeted.</p><p>"hey, it about time you came to visit." the new skeleton greeted, handing him a sugarsnap pea "we were starting to think you didn't like us anymore. hey, black."</p><p>"Hello Axe." Black greeted, leaning casually over the back of your chair "On your own today?"</p><p>"fuku's helping me out, but she's on lunch." Axe shrugged "baby's due any day now, so my usual partner in crime is in the hospital."</p><p>"think it'll be easier on them this time?" Rus asked.</p><p>"can hardly be worse."</p><p>Did the boys mention having cousins in the area? You couldn't remember, but you could definitely see the resemblance between Black and Axe. After a few minutes of 'hows the family's, the group left Axe to run his stall and moved on. They ran across another cousin not too far on running a furniture stall, a skeleton so tall they made Rus look short, and stopped again for another chat. You didn't mind - it was nice to know they knew people outside of work.</p><p>"Oh no no, Anna and her mother are at the hospital too." the tall monster assured them "We're doing everything by the book this time!"</p><p>"well, let me know if there's anything i can do to help." Rus offered.</p><p>"As godfather, I'll hold you to that!"</p><p>After a while, the group stopped for lunch, everyone settling around one of the many wooden picnic tables in the town square while Rus went to fetch the food. Black watched in interest as Gabby fetched her collapsible bowls and food from the bag on the back of the chair, putting everything in your lap before waiting patiently to be served.</p><p>"How does she even know to do that?" he asked "How long does it take to teach a dog something like that?"</p><p>"Wish I knew." you admitted "She was already trained when I got her. The only thing I'm sure of is that anything related to food she picks up very quickly."</p><p>Black chuckled. There was a certain tension to his shoulders, even as he feigned nonchalance, his eyes sharp and aware.</p><p>"Is everything okay?" you asked him.</p><p>To his credit, he didn't even pretend to not be aware of what you meant, but took a moment to pick his words.</p><p>"It's difficult." he admitted "Going against every rule that ever kept me alive. But this is a different world, you know? I can be safe in a crowd. I can chit chat. I can just... walk around, without any particular reason. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, it's just... different. Difficult to get used to."</p><p>You held out your hand to him. He paused a moment, but he did take it, just letting you hold it. You could feel claws through his gloves, but you weren't scared of getting scratched.</p><p>"You're doing great." you told him.</p><p>His eyes softened as he gave you a genuine smile, not letting go of your hand as Rus returned with your food.</p><hr/><p>It was nice to be back on home terrain, allowing you control of your own movement again on the way home from the train station. Gidget had fallen asleep in Rus' hoodie pocket, and Gabby was dragging her feet - she was probably going to sleep for the rest of the night, and you wouldn't blame her.</p><p>"You're lying. You have to be lying."</p><p>"It's true." Black swore "Is it really that hard to believe?"</p><p>"With the way you eat? Yes!" you laughed "When's your next day off, I will make you fondue!"</p><p>"You're on. But only if..."</p><p>When Black didn't continue, you realised the sound of footsteps had stopped as well. Turning to face them, you found both skeletons staring at the house, tense and unmoving. It took you a moment to see what had caught their attention, but when you did, you understood their reaction.</p><p>The front door was open.</p><hr/><p>"You're absolutely sure you locked it when you left?" the officer asked as he took notes.</p><p>"It locks automatically." you assured "And even if it didn't, both my tenants checked it was locked."</p><p>"But are you <em>sure</em>?"</p><p>Black admired your composure - if he had to deal with such questioning, he would have bitten the officers head off. The local plods didn't even seem to care much, taking only what evidence they had to to prove they had done something. Black knew that the majority of house burglaries never got solved, but seeing their complete disinterest really pissed him off.</p><p>What if you had still been living alone? Who knows what could have happened to you!</p><p>Besides that, this was very obviously a break in - the glass in the front door had been smashed in, leaving glass all over the foyer floor, and the locks forced clumsily from the inside. Several things were missing, including a couple of antique mirrors, a drawer full of silverware, and a few paintings. Not all the paintings, though, and that was what tipped Black off as to who the culprits may be - the paintings that were left were new, bought either by you or your grandmother. There were also much more valuable things that hadn't been touched, such as a few first edition books in the reading room, and things that weren't obviously valuable, but would still fetch a very good price, like your grandmothers collection of antique perfume bottles, and a few told tin lunchboxes he remembered seeing in the storage room.</p><p>Your room and office were the worst part - while the burglars had left mess everywhere, they had really gone to town in your room, ripping your soft furnishings apart and tossing your work papers everywhere, leaving your office under nearly a foot of paper. Their stuff had been messed with too, but they didn't own much of value. Their electronics had been taken, but seeing as Black was a regional commander in the royal guard, every last one of them was traceable.</p><p>Of course, that raised questions of its own. This was clearly a targeted attack - were they honestly so stupid as not to check who your tenants were? Black was going to bring the full force of the guard right down on their fucking heads for this.</p><p>The police left within the hour, giving you an incident number, and absolutely zero promises of finding anything that was taken.</p><p>"You have insurance?" Black wondered.</p><p>"Of course." you assured "My grandmother was adamant about it. Everything that's worth anything is photographed and catalogued with the insurance provider. It's my work papers I'm worried about, a lot of those cases are ongoing."</p><p>Rus had been very quiet. Black knew it was because he was doing his thing, gathering information, but to the outside world he looked to be in shock.</p><p>You called your supervisor to request a few people to help you put your case files back together. She had suitably freaked out, insisting on putting you up in a hotel until the door could be fixed, if nothing else. You had objected, only relenting on Black and Rus' insistence: it would help to keep the dogs out of the way while they cleaned up, after all. Your office did indeed send a few people around to take care of your office, leaving you to handle taking care of the insurance while the skeletons took stock.</p><p>"What are you thinking?" Black asked his brother.</p><p>"the clothes are gone."</p><p>"Clothes?"  </p><p>"that womans room." he explained "she left a whole wardrobe full of clothes when he moved out. they're all gone now."</p><p>"If it was her, she wasn't working alone." Black was sure "Too many large items are gone."</p><p>"i think they're watching the house."</p><p>Black couldn't help but agree - you worked from home, and Rus was unemployed and was thus always home as well. When was the last time there had been no-one in the house? With the equipment you and the dogs needed for an extended trip out, it would be obvious that the whole group would be gone for the day.</p><p>Rus was quiet as he picked up an upended chair, the two stood in the kitchen as Black made a list of everything that was missing. The bastards had even taken the unopened bottle of milk from the fridge, for fucks sake.</p><p>"what... are you going to do?" he asked carefully, wary of the small army of lawyers and paralegals in the next room.</p><p>"I'm going to put a tail on the suspects." Black told him, his confident voice hoping to reassure his brother "There aren't many places around here you can sell antiques, and even fewer you can sell hot goods. If the suspects were desperate enough to break in, there's no way they won't try to fence what they stole."</p><p>"i don't care about the fucking <em>stuff.</em>" Rus growled in uncharacteristic temper, hands tightening on the chair so hard that the wood squeaked.</p><p>"I know." Black assured "I'm just... trying not to think about it."</p><p>Trying not to think about what would have happened if neither of them had been home. If they hadn't moved in with you all those months ago.</p><p>If you had been alone.</p><p>Their own sense of violation didn't even occur to them. Even though they had been here so long, they had lived in barracks, hotels and safe houses for so long before that that nowhere felt like theirs anymore. A place was just a place, and stuff was just stuff.</p><p>You were different.</p><p>"<em>i'll fucking kill them</em>." Rus hissed.</p><p>"Not without evidence you won't." Black ordered "I want you to channel that energy into reinforcing this place. Change all the doors, all the locks. Put bars on the windows if you have to. I want this place tighter than a gnats fart."</p><p>"yes, sir." his brother agreed without hesitation.</p><p>Black busied himself with cataloguing the damages to stop his mind wandering to darker places.</p><p>Nobody messed with his family and lived to tell the tale.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any of my readers play Animal Crossing New Horizons? I need people to trade with...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Keep it Subtle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were all fucking stupid.</p>
<p>Black could never have been a police officer, if this was the calibre of nemesis he'd be dealing with. The thieves hadn't even waited a week to start offloading the things they had stolen from the house, which was a lack of patience so extreme it actually made the monster feel a little sick. He had already recovered half the things that were stolen, and every antique and secondhand shop in the country had an illustrated list of items to look out for.</p>
<p>Dawn raid? Why even wait that long - it was around 4am when Black bought the fury of the royal guard down on a select few houses, breaking down doors and shattering windows with the subtlety of a hurricane. It wasn't too difficult to convince Alphys that this was worth the guards time - if it got out that the regional commanders house was broken into without repercussion, then the guard would become a laughing stock - and there was no arrest quite like a military arrest, that was for sure. He was certain his sledgehammer approach was going to ruin quite a few lives, but he didn't care.</p>
<p>
  <strike> <em>What</em> </strike>
  <strike><em>if you had been home alone?</em> </strike>
</p>
<p>The culprits were exactly who they had expected - a couple of your younger idiot cousins, spurred on by older ones who thought they weren't liable just because they weren't physically there.</p>
<p>
  <strike> <em>What</em> </strike>
  <strike><em>if you had been home alone?</em> </strike>
</p>
<p>A few other people had surrendered items they had received once they found out they'd been stolen, so at least not everyone in your bloodline was trash.</p>
<p>
  <strike> <em>What</em></strike>
  <strike><em> if you had been home alone?</em> </strike>
</p>
<p>The skeleton didn't care much about getting the stuff back. Valuable or not, they were just things. What he wanted was to make an example of the bastards, let them know that you were under his protection, that they couldn't mess with you anymore.</p>
<p>
  <strike> <em>What</em></strike>
  <strike><em> if you had been home alone?</em> </strike>
</p>
<p>He wasn't going to let this stand. He hadn't had to flex his muscles like this - so to speak - since leaving the Underground, but flex he did. The soldiers beneath him had gotten soft, forgotten exactly how he had risen to his position, but boy were they reminded. The sound of the culprits screaming in the middle of the night did nothing to change his mind.</p>
<p>
  <strike>
    <em>What</em>
  </strike>
  <strike>
    <em> if you had been home alone?</em>
  </strike>
</p>
<p>"And what if they had been home alone?" Dr Ricci asked him "What do you think would have happened?"</p>
<p>Black stared at the rubix cube in his hands. He wasn't even trying to solve it any more, but something about the movement of it helped him focus.</p>
<p>"I've told you they're in a wheelchair, right?" he asked.</p>
<p>"You have." she confirmed "You think that makes them more vulnerable?"</p>
<p>"Of course it fucking does." he hissed "This is no time to be PC, doctor. If those bastards had wanted to, they could have... they could have..."</p>
<p>Too many terrible options came to his mind. Black had seen far too much in his time to limit his imagination to simply 'tie you up' or 'hit you'. Dr Ricci seemed to understand, even without him finishing his sentence. </p>
<p>"Why do you care so much?" she asked, her level of antagonism carefully calculated "They're just a temporary landlord-"</p>
<p>"You're wrong." Black interrupted immediately "They're family."</p>
<p>"Because you live in the same house?"</p>
<p>"No, it's not that..."</p>
<p>It was difficult for him to explain, but the house was irrelevant. It was the way you worried when he went out late, the early morning talks, the gentle teasing, but mostly... mostly, it was the feeling of his head in your lap when he was upset. There was something about that that screamed 'family' to him, something about the way you stroked his skull, how warm your voice was. It was almost... <strike>motherly...?</strike></p>
<p>"Maybe it's my brothers influence." he supposed "They're younger than me, smaller than me, I can't help but feel protective. Besides, we've been welcome in that house since day one."</p>
<p>"Isn't that to be expected, though? You are the tenants."</p>
<p>"I don't think you really believe that." Black said with a smile "If they didn't want us in their house, they could make it known... No, they're the one who made us family."</p>
<p>"Is that why you reacted so strongly to the intrusion, do you think? You really bought hell down on them - even I heard about it."</p>
<p>"Not even half what I could have." Black knew, mind going to dark places "Not half what I wanted to. If this had been the Underground, I would have fucking <em>dusted</em> them. I can't just sit back and let a threat to my family go free, let people know that they can mess with me. I... I <em>really</em> had to hold myself back..."</p>
<p>Dr Ricci stayed quiet, letting him find his words. From the way the toy in his hands squeaked as his pressure increased, it was clear to her that his thoughts were somewhere unpleasant.</p>
<p>"If... If I... Hadn't been home." he started "And they had... if they were alone... if they got hurt... I'm a little scared... about... what I would have done."</p>
<p>He put the cube down on the seat beside him, afraid of breaking it as magic surged through his bones. He couldn't even look at the doctor, afraid of what kind of face he was making.</p>
<p>"I've never been... <em>angry</em> like this... before..." he confessed "And I've been pretty fucking angry in the past. I just can't see, to let it go... I just keep thinking... what if they had been home alone..."</p>
<p>"But they weren't." Dr. Ricci pointed out "You were with them. Everyone was fine."</p>
<p>"This time."</p>
<p>"Are you worried about next time?"</p>
<p>"There won't <em>be</em> a next time." Black growled "I'll make fucking <em>sure</em> of that." </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>"Insurance is being a pain about it, but what do you expect, really?"</p>
<p>"I'm pretty sure it's a part of their job to make claims as difficult as possible." Claire agreed, taking a sip of her tea "How did work take it?"</p>
<p>"Nothing was missing from the files, thank god." you assured her, taking another forkful of cake "Some of it was pretty vital to ongoing cases, so most of my paperwork has been taken back to the office for sorting. I've only got what I'm currently working on at home, and even then only copies."</p>
<p>"I bet your office feels so empty."</p>
<p>"It really does!"</p>
<p>The two of you laughed, sat outside the little cafe in the pleasant afternoon sun. It was that time of the month when, thanks to your <strike>extended family</strike> relatives, you had to check in with adult services. Luckily, you and your case worker Claire were similar enough in age and temperament that your meetings felt more like two friends catching up than anything official. Even as she occasionally took notes on the things you told her, it was easy to forget why you were both here.</p>
<p>"More importantly, do you feel safe?" she asked you "I mean, they were in your house, in your room. I've heard a lot about the sense of violation people feel after a break in."</p>
<p>"Honestly, I think if effected Black and Rus more." you admitted "They put on a brave face at the time, but since then they've been... odd. Black's just thrown himself into his work again, and Rus, well..."</p>
<p>"Hence your escort today?"</p>
<p>Claire raised her eyebrow playfully as she looked back to the other side of the road, where Rus was sat on a bus stop bench waiting for you to finish your meeting. Gabby, ever the good girl, was sat patiently beside him, while Gidget was on his lap, trying her best to bite his hands off. Since her tiny mouth couldn't yet fit around one of his phalanges, it was a futile effort.   </p>
<p>"Yeah, he's being way overprotective." you confirmed "He waits to do all his errands until I go out, so he can come with me."</p>
<p>"Sounds more like he doesn't want to be alone." Claire thought.</p>
<p>"I think he's more scared of leaving <em>me</em> alone."  you corrected quietly "Even when we're both at home, he checks in with me every hour. I'm starting to set my watch by it."</p>
<p>"I can't say I don't understand." she admitted.</p>
<p>"No." you sighed "No, me neither."</p>
<p>"You seem to be handling it very well, all things considered."</p>
<p>"The insurance company is getting the brunt of my stress." you confessed "The guy handling my case is pretty sick of me yelling at him, but if they're going to be difficult then I'm going to be difficult right back."</p>
<p>Claire fiddled with her pen a moment, as she always did when she was forced by her vocation to bring up something she otherwise might not.</p>
<p>"Do you think," she asked carefully "That your relatives might have had something to do with the break in?"</p>
<p>"Judging by what was missing? One hundred percent." you confirmed "And if I could prove it we'd be having this conversation in a lawyers office instead of a cafe."</p>
<p>Claire just nodded, making some notes. Keeping track of their harassment was a part of her job, after all.</p>
<p>Soon enough, the timer on her phone signalled the end of your time with her, and with no pressing matters to extend your appointment, the two of you bid each other goodbye.</p>
<p>"Let me know if you get any updates from the police." Claire requested as she got into her car "And could you send me copies of anything they've sent you so far?"</p>
<p>"Sure, I can do that tomorrow. See you next month."</p>
<p>You backed away from the curb as she pulled away. Even though he didn't attempt to move you, you could still feel Rus grab the handles on the back of your chair as he rejoined you.</p>
<p>"good meeting?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Claire and her boyfriend broke up." you shrugged. </p>
<p>"aw, that's a shame."</p>
<p>"Not really, he was a douche."</p>
<p>Rus chuckled, letting go of your chair as you turned to face him.</p>
<p>"Fancy an amble before we go home?" you suggested "A bit of window shopping, maybe?"</p>
<p>"sure, i've never been in this area before." he shrugged "lead on."</p>
<p>This area was pretty upscale and expensive, full of ladies who lunch and snooty branded shops. You wouldn't normally meet Claire in a place like this, but knowing Rus would insist on accompanying you...</p>
<p>You might have underplayed exactly how badly the break in had effected the guys. Rus had spent the three nights after you got home sleeping on your fold-out sofa bed, eyes glued on the patio doors beside your dressing table. He would only agree to sleep in his own room once <em>all</em> of the downstairs windows and doors were covered in the bars he had made.</p>
<p>Yes, <em>made</em>. Apparently he didn't trust the ones made by security companies, for whatever reason. As handy as he had proven himself to be around the house, you had had no idea that metallurgy was among his talents - the 'bars' ended up being things of beauty, designed to look like wrought iron ivy, complete with leaves, which you much preferred to the regular straight kind, and were complicated enough that nothing bigger than a Whimsums hand could get through the gaps. Every external door, even the one that only led to the garage, was replaced with a security door that housed at least a dozen locks. You house was probably safer than Asgore's palace right now.</p>
<p>However, this had ignited an argument between you and the skels - namely whose duty it was to pay for it all. As the homeowner, you were certain it was yours, but the guys refused to hand over the receipts or give you any kind of figure for what it must have cost them. Every time you geared up to actually fight one of them about it, they would pull A Face, and you'd let the matter drop.</p>
<p>You were getting soft.</p>
<p>
  <strike>Who are you kidding, you were always soft.</strike>
</p>
<p>You picked this area to meet Claire because you figured Rus would appreciate an overtly safe environment to walk around in. He was trying so hard to hide the way he was looking over his shoulder every few feet when you went out to the supermarket, but knew him well enough by now to see how jittery he was.</p>
<p>You hoped he was talking to his new therapist about the break in.</p>
<p>He seemed relaxed enough as the two of you wondered down the high street, making the occasional quip at something he saw in a shop window.</p>
<p>"what would you do if i walked in there and licked that?" he asked, gesturing to some designer bag.</p>
<p>"I would pretend I didn't know you." you answered honestly, even as you laughed "And I'd be more worried about what that sales assistant would do to you - she looks like she's ready for a fight!"</p>
<p>"i would be too if i had to look at these ugly designs all day." Rus deadpanned. </p>
<p>"I've always found that..."</p>
<p>You stopped, hardly believing your eyes. Surely it couldn't be...</p>
<p>"found that what?" Rus prompted when you didn't follow up.</p>
<p>"That's mine!" you cried, pointing out a mirror proudly displayed in the window of an antique shop "That's one of the things that was stolen!"</p>
<p>You didn't even wait to see if the skeleton followed you as you stormed into the shop ready for an argument - if you had, you would have noticed him pull out his phone. </p>
<hr/>
<p>The owner of the antique shop had been mortified to find his staff had bought stolen goods, and handed them over to the guard without complaint (to them, anyway - Rus was sure his staff heard a LOT of complaints). They couldn't return any of the recovered items to you until the case was closed, but as frustrated as it made you, you held your tongue.</p>
<p>You were doing that a lot, he noticed. Holding your tongue, keeping things in. Rus wanted to tell you that you could talk to him, that you didn't have to suffer in silence, that he wasn't going to let anything happen to you... but he didn't. Partly because it would out him as a complete hypocrite, and partly because the intensity of what he was feeling was shocking to him. He had been floating for so long through a miasma of blah, the sudden burning anger in his soul left him reeling.</p>
<p>You could have been hurt. In a way, you were - those bastards had violated your home, your sense of safety. His brother was strong, he would always be able to protect himself, but you? You weren't a soldier, or even a monster. You were vulnerable, you didn't even own a weapon, let alone know how to use one. The softness he had always considered your best quality now made you seem unforgivably fragile...</p>
<p>The front door opened, but the sound of footsteps let him know it wasn't you coming home.</p>
<p>
  <strike>It was still a little early anyway...</strike>
</p>
<p>He didn't bother looking over as his brother entered the living room, keeping his eyes on the ceiling above him as if held the answer to all the Feelings he was experiencing at the moment. Gidget had given up trying to eat his fingers and had fallen asleep under his palm, her gentle breathing the only movement in the room until his kin had arrived.</p>
<p>"If you're going to sleep, go up to your room." his brother criticised, exhaustion clear in his voice "You're too tall for the sofa."</p>
<p>Black was right, of course - even with his head up on the arm rest, his legs below the knee were hanging over the other side.</p>
<p>"i'm not sleeping." he confessed.</p>
<p>"You haven't been sleeping a lot."</p>
<p>"... yeah..."</p>
<p>His brothers skull appeared in his eyeline, looking subtly unimpressed.</p>
<p>"You want to talk about it?" he asked.</p>
<p>"this and that are different things." he confessed.</p>
<p>"Okay, so what's 'this', then?"</p>
<p>Rus chewed on the words a moment - the felt like bees in his mouth.</p>
<p>"our human is on a date." he said simply.</p>
<p>The older brother felt more than a little gratified by Black's double-take.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, what?!"</p>
<p>"a friend set them up. weeks ago." he elaborated "they told me about it <em>today</em>."</p>
<p>"A date?!" Black repeated "As in, with another person?! Who?!"</p>
<p>"it's a blind date."</p>
<p>"A <em>BLIND</em> DATE?!" he cried, voice taking on that shrill tone it had when he was completely scandalised "UNACCEPTABLE!"</p>
<p>"i know, right?!"</p>
<p>Black left his eyeline, wondering off into the house as he grumbled to himself. Rus kept staring at the ceiling, hearing his brother banging around in the kitchen for a few minutes. When he came back, he had a cup of coffee in his hands.</p>
<p>"Why did you allow this?!" he demanded "Why didn't you go with them?!"</p>
<p>"i mean, they're an adult?" he pointed out.</p>
<p>Not that he didn't understand. He had wanted to go with you. A part of him had wanted to follow you.</p>
<p>"Not the point!" Black exasperated "A <em>blind</em> date! They could be <em>anyone</em>!!"</p>
<p>The smaller skeleton continued to huff, sitting himself on the sofa so he was resting against his brothers rib cage.</p>
<p>"And now I can't go to bed until they get home!" he ranted "Blind date, ha!"</p>
<p>A thorny silence fell between them as Black sipped at his coffee. The tick of the old clock on the wall only highlighted their tension.</p>
<p>"why do we care so much?" Rus wondered.</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Black asked.</p>
<p>"they're an adult." he repeated "they can go on dates if they want to."</p>
<p>"Well, yes, but," the younger brother floundered "We don't know this person! They could be anyone!"</p>
<p>"and if we did know them? would we feel any different?"</p>
<p>They were both quiet as they considered, but they came to the same answer quickly. No, they wouldn't feel different.</p>
<p>"what is <em>wrong</em> with us?" Rus sighed, using the arm that wasn't Gidgets blanket to cover his eyes "i'm just sat here thinking all these things, like..."</p>
<p>"That's <em>our</em> human." Black knew.</p>
<p>"right. and what's going to happen if the date goes well and-!"</p>
<p>"And they take our human away from us." he finished.</p>
<p>Rus didn't need to go on, not when it was clear they were on the same page. Neither of them were liking what they saw, though.</p>
<p>"we got problems." Rus sighed.</p>
<p>"We already knew that."</p>
<p>"we got more problems than we thought we had." he amended "... do you think... this is how red felt...?"</p>
<p>Black didn't reply, which didn't exactly fill his brother with confidence.</p>
<p>They definitely had more problems than they thought.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Any horror fans in the audience, feel free to check out the first chapter of another fic I'm working on, Paradolia, and tell me if it's actually scary or needs more work...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Keep it Warm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Drama incoming...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was just after 9pm that you arrived home - far too early for a good date, but too late to claim it had been a bad one. You found Black and Rus in the living room, TV playing a game show with the volume down. Rus seemed to be asleep, but you had learned by now not the trust that peaceful visage, while Black was curled up on an armchair reading a book. They were trying very hard to be casual, but 'casual' wasn't a state that came naturally to them, the tension clear in their bones, air heavy with the smell of coffee. Gidget was clearly confused, spinning in circles where she stood on her owners chest, so you could guess they had been playing before you came in. Black's book was also upside down.</p>
<p>"Good evening." he greeted "How was your date?"</p>
<p>Straight to the point, huh?</p>
<p>"A bust." you sighed, taking a moment to remove Gabby's harness "Don't get me wrong, they were nice enough, we just had nothing in common."</p>
<p>"Did a mutual friend set you up?"</p>
<p>"Yup. Unfortunately this particular friend confuses being disabled for a personality trait, so they keep trying to set me up with other disabled people. I wouldn't mind if we had literally anything else in common, but we rarely do."</p>
<p>"I understand." the skeleton assured "The few times I've been browbeaten into a blind date, it's always been with other short people."</p>
<p>"Ouch." you chuckled.</p>
<p>Freed of her restraints, Gabby marched over to Rus, grabbing Gidget (who fit nicely into her mouth), and carried her over to her bed, plopping her down before circling around a couple of times and plopping down herself. You could practically hear her demanding 'bed time' as the Labrador placed her large paw on the puppy's wriggling body.</p>
<p>"No second date, I assume?" Black pried, trying and failing to keep the smug from his voice.</p>
<p>"I don't think so." you confirmed "The search for love continues, I guess."</p>
<p>Blacks smile twitched.</p>
<p>"I didn't know you were looking." he confessed</p>
<p>"It's pretty normal, isn't it? I'm a grown adult, I have the same needs as everyone else."</p>
<p>"I guess I never really pictured you as a... sexual being."</p>
<p>"Story of my life." you sighed "People see the chair and assume the plumbing doesn't work."</p>
<p>"More fool them. More fool me as well, I suppose."</p>
<p>"When was the last time you had a date?" </p>
<p>Black had to think about it, eyes travelling up and to the left. You just laughed.</p>
<p>"Career boy." you teased.</p>
<p>"Shut up." he grumbled, blushing a little "It's not that important."</p>
<p>"Uh huh."</p>
<p>You rolled over to him, grabbed the book from his hands, and turned it the right way up before handing it back to him. It took a moment for the monster to realise his mistake, his entire skull lighting up when he did.</p>
<p>"You guys have no chill." you told him with a smirk "Just admit you were waiting up for me."</p>
<p>Black didn't respond, looking flabbergasted. He didn't think you were actually fooled by their casual act, did he? You went to go to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, only for the back of your chair to suddenly be grabbed, pulling you back to the armchair.</p>
<p>"Hey!" you scolded "Don't do that!"</p>
<p>"Why didn't you tell us?!" Black demanded.</p>
<p>It seemed he did indeed have chill before, because it was gone now - Black was on his feet in front of you, eye lights extinguished as his hands gripped the arm rests of your chair. With his sharp teeth and pitiless black sockets, he was actually intimidating.</p>
<p>"Excuse me"? you challenged.</p>
<p>"Why didn't you tell us you had a date?!" he demanded again "Why didn't you tell us it was a <em>blind</em> date?!"</p>
<p>"I don't need your permission to do things." you pointed out calmly.</p>
<p>"It's not about <em>permission</em>!" he insisted "I didn't know where you were, I didn't know who you were with... what if something had happened to you?! I wouldn't have been there!"</p>
<p>"I'm not a child."</p>
<p>"You think that matters?! You think all the sick people in this world who get off on hurting others care if you're a child or not?! What if your date had been one of them?! We would never know where you were!"</p>
<p>You clenched your hands in your lap. You could feel your temper rising, but you were able to read between the lines. He wasn't worried about you because you were in a wheelchair - he was worried about you because he saw the world as a sick, violent place. He would probably be just as worried even if you could walk.</p>
<p>That doesn't give him the right to grab your chair or yell at you, though.</p>
<p>"Black, you need to calm down." you told him sternly "Or you and I are going to fall out."</p>
<p>"I just... I just... ARGH!" Black yelled, grabbing his skull as he backed away from you "WHY IS THIS SO HARD?!"</p>
<p>"Black-"</p>
<p>"I was worried about you!" he admitted "You wouldn't understand! <em>I</em> barely understand!"</p>
<p>This time, you kept quiet. Black started to pace, his eye lights coming back. It seemed like he actually wanted to talk for once, and getting whatever this was off his chest might help you understand him better.</p>
<p>"Underground, people like you don't exist!" he told you "You're so... warm! And kind! And I think about you going out into the world, and it scares me! You wouldn't... You wouldn't believe the shit I've seen! It was bad enough underground, but humans... they don't <em>dust</em> like monsters do! There's always... <em>remains</em>, and I think about you out in the same world as the kind of people who do that kind of thing, and I get so scared for you!"</p>
<p>"You're scared?"</p>
<p>"Yes! I'm scared!"</p>
<p>Black stopped ranting as he realised what he said. If anything, it seemed like a welcome revelation, as he let out a deep, shuddering breath.</p>
<p>"I get so scared." he admitted, sounding calmer even as his voice shook "I thought the fear would go away if I got stronger. If I got so strong no monster could challenge me... It didn't... It didn't go away, it just changed. I was scared of this violent world, scared of losing my brother... as I got older, I got to be scared of myself, of what I was capable of... I was scared of humans, scared of change... now I'm right back to being scared of the world, and of losing you... fuck, when does it end?"</p>
<p>"Oh, Black..." you sighed, reaching out for his hand "Being that brave must be exhausting."</p>
<p>"Brave?!" he scoffed, but didn't take his hand back "What part of what I just said sounds brave to you?!"</p>
<p>"The part where you go outside every single day to face the things you're afraid of." you pointed out "Every day you face the violent world you're scared of and use the power that frightens you to protect people. Even the humans."</p>
<p>Black didn't answer. He looked drained, like simply admitting to his fear had uncorked his reserves of energy. He let himself be pulled by you, collapsing at your feet and laying his head on your lap - a sight that was becoming very familiar to you.</p>
<p>"I'm not going anywhere." you assured him "You don't need to be scared of that."</p>
<p>He let out a hollow laugh, closing his eyes like the world pained him.</p>
<p>"Why am I so weak when you're around?" he wondered.</p>
<p>"Because you can be." you said "It's safe to be weak around me."</p>
<p>When he looked back up at you, the usually purple lights in his eyes were white. The second he blinked they were back to normal, but you saw it long enough to make you wonder what it meant.</p>
<p>"I love you." he told you quietly "It's not romantic, but... it's strong. It's... haha, it scares me a little, ha."</p>
<p>"I love you too." you assured him.</p>
<p>"I'm not going to go Red on you." he went on (although you had no context for that phrase. Was it a monster thing?) "Just... when you go somewhere alone, just let me know where? For my sanity's sake?"</p>
<p>"If it will help." you conceded "But you need to bring this up with your shrink. Deal?"</p>
<p>"Deal." he agreed, letting out a huffing laugh "She'll be so pissed she wasn't around for my breakthrough..."</p>
<p>He stayed still a moment more, composing himself. It wasn't like you had to be anywhere, so you stayed patient, stroking his skull. When he was ready, he got up.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna... take a shower." he told you, not looking you in the eye "Maybe take a run. I drank way too much coffee for this time of night."</p>
<p>"It would be more useful if you could use that energy to get up into the attic and check the insulation." you told him "If it needs replacing, I'd like to get it done before winter." </p>
<p>"Sure." he agreed, giving you a smile as he wandered off to make himself useful.</p>
<p>As you heard his footsteps disappear up the stairs, you let out a deep breath you didn't know you'd been holding. This wasn't exactly how you expected tonight to end, but at least you understood Black a little better now: it sounded like he was suffering from some serious anxiety problems, made far worse by growing up in a genuinely violent environment. You hoped Dr. Ricci was doing him some good.</p>
<p>You moved thoughtlessly to the armchair, grabbing the crochet cushion from it and fluffing it up.</p>
<p>Then you viciously pummelled Rus in the face with it.</p>
<p>"hey!" he objected, holding up his arm to defend himself.</p>
<p>"You're a real piece of work, you know that?!" you hissed at him, wary Black may still be in earshot "Your brother is baring his soul and you're over here pretending to be asleep?!"</p>
<p>"hey now, that phrase means something different to us."</p>
<p>"You know what I meant, don't change the subject!"</p>
<p>Rus grabbed the cushion, tossing it over the back of the sofa without even taking his eyes off you.</p>
<p>"if i had said anything, he would have clammed up." he justified.</p>
<p>"You're awful." you deadpanned "At least go up there and comfort him!"</p>
<p>"can't."</p>
<p>"What do you mean, 'can't'?!"</p>
<p>"my bro needs to learn how to deal with his emotions." he explained "he'll never do that if i give him something else to focus on when he should be processing."</p>
<p>"... That doesn't sound like you at all."</p>
<p>Rus pulled a face, finally sitting up.</p>
<p>"you're right." he confessed "it's something my shrink said. i need to stop babying him so he'll feel more like an adult. apparently."</p>
<p>"He's literally the regional commander in the royal guard." you pointed out "What's more 'adult' than that?"</p>
<p>Rus's eyes tilted up a moment, as if he was listening for something. He stretched as he got to his feet, spine stiff from lying on the sofa.</p>
<p>"let's go into the garden." he suggested "i could use some fresh air."</p>
<p>'Let's go somewhere he won't hear us', you guessed he meant. You followed him to the patio doors in your bedroom, beyond which was the only paved area in the garden. Once the doors were closed, Rus pulled his cigarettes from his pockets and lit one up.</p>
<p>"he thinks i don't rely on him." he said immediately, no need for any preamble "he tries so hard to be his big brothers equal, he doesn't realise he exceeded me a long time ago. he's literally supporting me completely now, but he still feels the need to clean every inch of the house and get the shopping in on the few days he takes off, so he can feel like he's being useful."</p>
<p>"Then why don't you actually talk to him?" you challenged "Get everything out in the open?"</p>
<p>Rus didn't reply, leaning against the patio railing as he took a drag.</p>
<p>"he's working through his own stuff." he finally said "he doesn't want either of us knowing what it is, but... fuck, since the day he was born we've never spent more than a few hours apart. i know him better than he knows himself."</p>
<p>"And you won't tell me what?" you guessed.</p>
<p>"he wants to keep it secret." Rus shrugged "knowing what it is... i think that's the right thing to do. if he ever wants to tell us, it'll be when he's past it. i can't open up about my shit without him feeling obligated to talk about his, and he's not ready to. why do you think we both talk to you?" he finished with a smirk.</p>
<p>"You're impossible." you sighed.</p>
<p>"and yet, here i stand."</p>
<p>You smacked him on the leg, making him laugh. You were still mad at him for leaving his brother to stew, but... maybe there was more going on than you knew. You were just starting to understand Black, while Rus could read him like a book. As frustrating as it was, maybe you had to follow his lead on this one. Whatever he was going through, you'd just have to be there for him as best as you could.</p>
<p>When you looked up at his face to call him an idiot, you found the skeleton staring at you. He wasn't even puffing on his cigarette, just holding it in his teeth as his eyes bored holes into you.</p>
<p>"What?" you challenged.</p>
<p>"what are you looking for?" he asked.</p>
<p>"You're the one looking at me." you pointed out.</p>
<p>Rus laughed, taking the cigarette from his mouth.</p>
<p>"i meant in a partner." he clarified "what are you looking for?"</p>
<p>"Oh," you realised "Stop trying to change the subject. Obvious."  </p>
<p>You turned on your wheels to once again try and make a cup of tea, only to screech back in the other direction. For a moment you were shocked - had this fucker just used his magic on you?!</p>
<p>"Okay, that's the second time today that's happened and I do NOT care for it." you told him sternly.</p>
<p>"what. are you. looking for?" he repeated.</p>
<p>"I don't care for your fucking tone either." you scolded "What's with you today? Ever since we got home you've had a fucking stick up your arse!"</p>
<p>Rus crushed his cigarette under his heel, standing straight.</p>
<p>"why didn't you tell me you were going on a date?" he challenged.</p>
<p>"Because it's not your fucking business?" you told him, although in truth you had simply forgotten until your friend texted you about it earlier this afternoon.</p>
<p>"bullshit!" he spat, actually making you flinch "everything to do with you is my business!"</p>
<p>Rus' eyes went wide, like it only just occurred to him what had come out of his mouth. He even covered his mouth with his hand, looking gratifyingly horrified at himself.</p>
<p>"I'm glad to see I don't need to tell you what you did wrong." you told him "This conversation is over. Goodnight, Papyrus."</p>
<p>You turned on your wheel again, and this time he let you go, watching with fraught dismay as you closed and locked the patio door behind you.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Gabby wasn't the type of dog that barked. She might let out a quiet 'boof' every now and then, but loud, repeated barking wasn't like her.</p>
<p>That was the first sign that someone was wrong.</p>
<p>Your brain latched onto that, even as it struggled to recognise anything else. Loud, <em>loud</em> barking, right by your head, like she was trying to wake you up. The barking only stopped as you felt a long jaw of sharp teeth grabbing your arm, not to wound, but to pull, literally trying to pull you off the bed. Why was she doing that? Why was it so hard to think straight? It was so hot, the air burned your lungs with every breath.</p>
<p>Gabby started barking again, the bed rocking erratically as she climbed all over you, trying frantically to rouse you.</p>
<p>So hot. So hot. Couldn't breathe...</p>
<p>Consciousness came to you all at once in that moment. You opened your eyes to a smoke filled room, Gabby desperate in her attempts to warn you of the danger.</p>
<p>
  <em>Something was on fire.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A lot of something.</em>
</p>
<p>The light coming from the patio doors was orange and yellow, vicious in its brightness, so hot that the glass was starting to melt, the coloured finish on the iron bars bubbling and oozing. It was the stench that struck you the most - the unmistakable sour odour of burning motor oil. As the burning in your lungs increased, you covered your mouth with your top. There was no way all this smoke was coming from that one fire! You had to get out of the house!</p>
<p>"Gabby, get Rus!" you ordered the dog "Go, fetch Rus!"</p>
<p>The dog bounded off, confused and scared, and you heard her thunder up the stairs as you reached for you chair. Your hand flinched back on reflex before your brain even registered the scolding heat of the metal. Even the fabric of the seat was scorching hot under your palm, there was no way you could sit on it. And you couldn't get out the patio doors...</p>
<p>The door to your room burst open, Rus rushing in. He took stock quickly, making sure you were conscious before reaching for your chair, but it was so hot that even he leapt back. Even bones could burn, it seemed.</p>
<p>The air was getting thick, far too thick to breathe. You wanted to take a deep breath, shout to Rus to forget the chair and just get out, but there wasn't enough air left in all the smoke, and even the act of breathing was getting difficult. Rus needed no instruction, though, throwing the chair aside and scooping you up in a bridal carry before running back into the hallway.</p>
<p>You had been right - there was fire everywhere. It had already engulfed the kitchen and your office, blazing so bright that even from here your skin was blistering. The fabric of you shirt was no longer helping, acrid smoke forcing itself into your lungs with every breath. You coughed uncontrollably, body convulsing as Rus held you so tight it almost hurt. This, and the stinging soot in the air forced your eyes closed, robbing you of what senses you had.</p>
<p>"PAPYRUS!"</p>
<p>Black stood at the bottom of the stairs, also in his pyjamas. For some mad reason he was wearing his brothers cat hoodie, and had a firm grip on the panicking Gabby's collar.</p>
<p>"EVERY EXIT IS COVERED!" he told him over the roar of the flames, and the crack and bang of the house falling apart "WE'RE GOING OUT THE WALL. BE READY TO MOVE!"</p>
<p>Rus' grip grew tighter still, body tensing in preparation. Before your mind could even wonder how they planned on going out the wall, a blinding flash of light and ear piercing whine surrounded you.</p>
<p>The next thing you knew, you were outside, Rus laying you carefully onto the cold tarmac of the pavement. You gasped in the clear air, body greedy for it as you shook. Gabby was still panicking, pacing in place and staring at the house, barking constantly. From the pocket of the hoodie, Black pulled Gidget, making sure the puppy was still awake and breathing before holding her close to his chest.</p>
<p>By the time you had the strength to look back up, the whole house was engulfed in flames.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In other news, my kittens had their first bath the other day. You can imagine how that went XD</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Keep it Honest</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rus stared into the fireplace. It wasn't lit, of course, and hadn't been for some months, judging by how neat and ash free it was. Probably not the thing to do with two young babies in the house. Still, he stared at it, not seeing anything.</p>
<p>You were still at the hospital, and would be for a few days. 'Smoke inhalation', the doctor said. Gabby and Gidget were at the vet for the same thing, but luckily neither of them were burned. You were. He wasn't sure how, he didn't go anywhere near the flames coming from the kitchen and office as he carried you out the house. Was the heat alone enough to do that to your legs? They didn't even look like burns as he knew them, but like scalds, blisters, red and tight and sore.</p>
<p>And now he was alone. No Gabby to comfort him, no Gidget to distract him. His brother was dealing with the criminal case, so Rus was... alone.</p>
<p>It was probably for the best. He wasn't really in a talking mood.</p>
<p>His thoughts were going increasingly dark places. Places they hadn't gone even in the worst days of the underground.</p>
<p>The fire was set on purpose. Rus could tell from the smell of it. A fire smelled of whatever was burning, so accidental fires - an electrical fault, a knocked over candle, and cigarette left burning - they would smell of plastic, and fibre, maybe wood. This fire smelled of gasoline. Petrol. </p>
<p>Someone did this on purpose.</p>
<p>Someone tried to burn them.</p>
<p>Someone tried to burn <em>you</em>.</p>
<p>That was the part that got him. He and his brother would have been fine. No lungs to inhale the smoke, no skin or muscles to blister and burn. Even the burns he did have - a minor grey stain on the white bones - were inconsequential. His shortcuts, his brothers layers, allowed them to travel instantly. If not for you and the dogs, they would have been outside the second the saw the smoke.</p>
<p>("You're lucky to be alive." the doctor told them seriously "People don't usually wake up when a fire starts at night. The smoke gets them long before the fire does.")</p>
<p>Not you, though. Even if you weren't reliant on that chair, you were still limited to human movement. You could have died. You <em>would</em> have died, had Gabby not been so insistent on waking you up. You would have died.</p>
<p>Someone tried to kill you.</p>
<p>And there went the dark thoughts again. How he was going to find them. What he was going to do when he did. Many wonderful, terrible things, swirling and overlapping in his tired, tired mind.</p>
<p>The smell of chocolate suddenly invaded his mind, clearing everything else away and grounding him in the room.</p>
<p>Sugar smiled down at him, exhaustion radiating from him as he handed Rus a big mug of hot chocolate.</p>
<p>"and i thought i looked bad." he joked.</p>
<p>"You do." Sugar teased, sitting down on the armchair beside him "Bad enough that I made you a proper hot chocolate, on the stove. It's not even the instant stuff."</p>
<p>"wow, i must look like shit." Rus chuckled, even as he took an appreciative swig.</p>
<p>It kind of tasted like heaven. </p>
<p>"at least i don't smell of baby sick." he went on.</p>
<p>Sugar immediately contorted around to check his shoulder, shooting Rus a look when he found nothing there.</p>
<p>"gotcha."</p>
<p>They both had a good natured laugh before sighing deeply. There was silence for a while as they sat in mutual exhaustion, the overhead light the only illumination in the dead of the night.</p>
<p>"thanks again for letting us stay." Rus said after a while "i know you got a lot on your plates right now."</p>
<p>"Nonsense." Sugar dismissed "That's what family is for, cousin. Besides, this way I can stop you doing something you're going to regret."</p>
<p>"what do you mean?"</p>
<p>Sugar didn't answer right away, perhaps picking his words carefully. Instead, he took off his big round glasses and cleaned them on his shirt, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. No longer magnified by the lenses, his little round eyes stood out on his face, reminding Rus what while his alternate self was 'Sugar' now, it wasn't all that long ago he was the literal human eating monster known as 'Crooks.'</p>
<p>"You think I don't know what's going through your head?" his larger self told him quietly "All the ways you're going to hurt them? Make them suffer?"</p>
<p>"you don't." Rus challenged.</p>
<p>"Perhaps you're right." Sugar agreed, giving him a cruel smile that didn't suit him at all "My revenge would include eating them a bit at a time, hearing them scream as I did. You probably weren't thinking that."</p>
<p>He had him there. Of all the dark places his thoughts were straying, eating them alive wasn't one of them.</p>
<p>"you can't know how this feels." Rus argued.</p>
<p>"You think so?" Sugar disagreed "After everything that happened with Red-"</p>
<p>"that is completely different!" he almost yelled, startling both of them "your human is a fighter! a survivor! they'd outlive all of us in the apocalypse and you know it! mine is... soft. they spend all day doing paperwork and taking conference calls! i don't think they've ever even seen a gun, let alone know how to use one!"</p>
<p>Sugar just shook his head.</p>
<p>"You weren't there the first time." he told him patiently "They were only nineteen, barely older than a child, when they went through all of that. You didn't see how badly everything Red did back then effected them. You wouldn't recognise them, how scared and paranoid they were... how fragile."</p>
<p>Rus couldn't imagine that. The human who took charge of a rescue mission across the border, who could hit a fly between the eyes at five hundred feet, and whose sass was so extreme it was practically weaponized... Fragile? He couldn't picture it.</p>
<p>"You don't think that it didn't occur to me, how easy it would be to take revenge against Red?" Sugar went on "With that control collar on, he was powerless to protect himself, and I could drag him through the layers to anywhere I wanted. I could have done anything to him. I certainly thought about it."</p>
<p>"why didn't you?" Rus asked, before a bitter huff escaped his throat "i bet you regretted it when he broke out."</p>
<p>"Despite everything... no. I don't regret it."</p>
<p>Sugar finally put his glasses back on, sitting back in the chair.</p>
<p>"It wouldn't have been good for us." he thought "Any of us... may I be frank? One Papyrus to another?"</p>
<p>Rus wanted to make a joke about his name not being frank, but now didn't seem like the time. Instead, he just nodded.</p>
<p>"I worked so hard to push the violent side of myself down." Sugar told him "I only did those things back then because I had to, but once you start... it's so, so easy for it to become habit... when you realise how strong you really are, how easily everything breaks... Everyone thinks I just turned it off like a light bulb the second the barrier broke, but that couldn't be further from the truth."</p>
<p>That honestly surprised him. Despite everything, Sugar was - appropriately - such a sweet guy, it was difficult to picture him being aggressive. Even after Rus found out about his past, his goofy face and nervous ticks were disarming.</p>
<p>"My brother... he needed me." he went on "You remember what he used to be like? Not knowing where he was one moment to the other, relapsing every time it snowed, not able to control his magic..."</p>
<p>"not well." Rus admitted "but i know it was bad."</p>
<p>"It was. Sans needed me to set an example for him, so he would know where he was and how he should be acting. If I got violent, he got violent. If I got sad, he got sad. He didn't even know why, he was just following my lead. Then I met my human, and they were going through the same thing, trying to leave a violent past behind and live peacefully. We were able to lean on each other... I mean, there's a reason we've been best friends for so long."</p>
<p>"and then red showed up and fucked everyone over." Rus reminded him "how were you just able to walk away? how could you stand not <em>doing</em> anything?!"</p>
<p>To this, Sugar held up his hands, gesturing to the room around him.</p>
<p>"Have you ever really looked at our house?" he asked "We're in the middle of nowhere, twenty minutes drive through very confusing roads from the closest town. The walls around the farm are twelve foot tall, and there are security cameras on every one of them. I did <em>something</em>. I just didn't do that."</p>
<p>"and red was able to get away with what he did." Rus spat "he was able to come back and try again. doesn't that tear you up? doesn't it make you crazy?"</p>
<p>Finally, Sugar smiled, soft and gentle. He leaned forward again, eyes twinkling.</p>
<p>"Why would it make me crazy?" he asked "I won."</p>
<p>"you won?" Rus echoed.</p>
<p>"Look around you." Sugar urged "I own this big house, and the land it's on. My brothers condition is the best it's ever been, even with the occasional slip up. The human Red was so obsessed with loves me - <em>me</em>! We have two children, and will probably have more! I walked away with everything I could ever want! I <em>won!"</em></p>
<p>Sugar laid one of his massive hands over Rus', giving him a serious, but affectionate look.</p>
<p>"And I did it by walking away." he emphasised "As difficult as it was. As much as I wanted to make Red suffer for what he did, I had to put the anger aside. You understand?"</p>
<p>Rus just shook his head.</p>
<p>He <em>did</em> understand, what Sugar was saying made perfect sense to him. Despite how volatile his human could be, they too had walked away from revenge.</p>
<p>Wasn't that the point of his retirement? To walk away from the anger? To follow the same path to peace and find his own happiness?</p>
<p>"i don't know what else to do." he admitted quietly "i think about what could have happened, and..."</p>
<p>And that's when things start going dark. When his mind goes to places he was disturbed even existed within him, paralysing him with the horror what he was willing, almost <em>eager</em>, to do. </p>
<p>"Well, that's something else family is for." Sugar told him "To help."</p>
<p>Rus didn't know what to say. If anyone could understand, surely it would be another him, right?</p>
<p>If you knew the thoughts going through his head, what would you think? You're so soft and kind... you'd never condone the things he wanted to do.</p>
<p>He wanted to be better. Claw his way out of the darkness. The light was where you were, and if he wanted to be worthy of standing beside you, he had to be a better man.</p>
<p>Rus just nodded lamely, letting his cousin comfort him as the night sky gradually broke into dawn.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was the ticking of the clock that was driving him nuts. Even above the din of the bar he could hear it.</p>
<p>He hated this. Hated it.</p>
<p>Black was full of some very, very strong feelings. Anger. Fear. Hate. Worry. Back underground, he'd know exactly what to do - an eye for an eye, kill or be killed. He'd light his own fire, and keep burning and burning until everything was ash, and hope he got the right person in the meantime. No-one would touch him after that - they'd learn not to come anywhere near his family again.</p>
<p>But this wasn't the underground, and things were done differently here. Black had spent a long, frustrating time building a career based on that, and if he regressed now he'd lose everything. Do he handed over his boxes of evidence against your family, grit his teeth, and waited.</p>
<p>Which of them was it?</p>
<p>Which of them was it?</p>
<p>
  <em>WHICH OF THEM WAS IT?</em>
</p>
<p>There was no doubt it was arson, even before the report came back from the fire brigade. Outside every outer door, on the ledge of every window, a pile of rags had been dumped, doused in gasoline, and set on fire. Needless to say, the old house had caught, spreading worst through your office (right beside your bedroom...) and the reading room.</p>
<p>There was an interesting note on the report, though - the investigator thought that burning the whole house was an accident, that putting the lit rags by the windows was an attempt to simulate it rather than do it. To scare them. It was all academic, of course: regardless of their intentions, the whole house had gone up in flames, and all the exits had been deliberately blocked. Attempted murder, at the very least. Considering Black's connection with the guard, the prosecutors were going to bolt on every other possible charge, when they had enough evidence.</p>
<p>Evidence. Everything came down to evidence. Normally Black would agree, that that was the correct and civilised way of handling this.</p>
<p>But this wasn't a normal circumstance. It was <em>his</em> family they had tried to kill, his human in the hospital, his home in ashes.</p>
<p>It was his right, no, <em>duty</em> to do something.</p>
<p>
  <em>Tap tap tap.</em>
</p>
<p>Just like that, Black was back in the room - or rather, the bar - Axe's large finger tapping the back of his hand. </p>
<p>What kind of state must the smaller skeleton be in that Mr literal-hole-in-his-head felt the need to babysit him like this? He had been sticking to Black like glue since the brothers had arrived at their cousins house, even dragging him out into the fields behind the house to help with his vegetables. Considering Axe had earned himself the reputation of being the family's grumpiest stick in the mud, this attention was even more jarring.</p>
<p>He didn't even say much, but every time Black started to linger on his thoughts, the world around him slipping away a little too much as he considered the correct and necessary actions going forward - <em>tap tap tap, </em>on his hand, his shoulder, his skull, just hard enough to get his attention. Not that Axe ever had anything to say when he got it.</p>
<p>"your burger's gonna get cold." he pointed out.</p>
<p>"Anyone ever told you you're the worlds most annoying ghost?" Black asked him.</p>
<p>"i've been called worse." Axe shrugged, shoving more chips into his mouth.</p>
<p>"What are we even doing here?" he sighed.</p>
<p>Axe paused a moment, taking a look around. Black might have thought he was trying to be funny, but the grisly hole in his skull was a visceral reminder of his memory issues.</p>
<p>"eating lunch?" he finally guessed.</p>
<p>"No, Axe, not..." he sighed again "Why are you following me around all the time? What do you think is going to happen?"</p>
<p>Another pause. Axe's eye light darted around, the only part of him that moved, as he tried to remember. Finally, it settled on Black himself, shrinking for a moment.</p>
<p>"making sure you don't do something you'll regret." he recalled.</p>
<p>Black let out a bitter scoff.</p>
<p>"Going to tell me to turn the other cheek?" he challenged "To be the bigger man?"</p>
<p>Axe answered with a single, low laugh, before leaning down to Blacks level, his single eye disappearing.</p>
<p>"buddy... <em>i'm</em> the one who killed red." he reminded him "i tore him apart bone by bone until he dusted. i ain't gonna tell you to do shit."</p>
<p>With a blink, his eye was back, and he leaned away a more comfortable distance.</p>
<p>"the difference is i knew damn well he was guilty." he went on "and i don't even have your moral compass. once you know who did this, you can do whatever the hell you want. 'til then, i'm just keeping you patient. there's some phrase about a scalpel and a hammer, but i forgot the details."</p>
<p>"And the tapping?"</p>
<p>"tapping?"</p>
<p>"You keep tapping me."</p>
<p>"i do?"</p>
<p>"Yes, Axe, you do."</p>
<p>"huh..." Axe's eye went fuzzy, and he looked away like he was chasing an eye floater "i wonder what that's about... did we just get here, or are we about the leave?"</p>
<p>Black just sighed, rubbing his eyes. Why was <em>he</em> the one being babysat?</p>
<hr/>
<p>It didn't feel real. It was too big, your mind couldn't process it.</p>
<p>Fire. Your house had been on fire. Logically, you knew what had happened, that such things happened all the time, but it was so surreal that it had happened to you.</p>
<p>But you'd been through something very similar before, and knowing that gave you strength. If you could learn to live with never walking again, you could cope with the fallout from this too.</p>
<p>Only... you had had your grandmother before. Her support, her stability, her care... you didn't have any of that now. No family that mattered.</p>
<p>Where were you going to go? You'd lived in that house your whole life, literally everything important to you was in there...</p>
<p>Was.</p>
<p>It was gone now.</p>
<p>Burned up.</p>
<p>Ashes...</p>
<p>It was too big. You couldn't think about it.</p>
<p>Where the fuck were you going to live? You'd never been house hunting before, you didn't know where to start! Could you even get a mortgage with one wage, or would you need to rent? How many places in this town were even built with wheelchair access? And <em>fuck</em>, how were you going to get a new wheelchair?! You couldn't get to the damn shop! And what about Gabby, her vet's bills wouldn't be a joke, and you needed to get new furniture, and new clothes, and a new computer for work, and fuck <em>work, </em>they were being cool now but how long would that last, and even when you got out of the hospital you'd need to be on bed rest and wrap up your burns every day and then there was dealing with the insurance to think about and-!</p>
<p>A loud sob escaped you, eyes burning and overflowing as everything overwhelmed you. You couldn't do this on your own. It was too big. You couldn't do it.</p>
<p>You looked around as the door to the hospital room opened. Even through your tears, the familiar colours of orange, black and white told you who had entered. You couldn't even pretend to not be crying, too overwhelmed to temper it down. In two long steps, large arms wrapped around you, holding you tightly against a reassuringly firm rib cage. Rus didn't even shush you, just held you and let you cry. It was loud, and wet, and very undignified, but you didn't care. His poor shirt was going to be wet all day.</p>
<p>It took maybe ten minutes, but you did calm down, the waterfall drying to a trickle. You felt so much calmer for it, centred even. Like you could handle this, one thing at a time. When Rus let you go, he wiped the final tears from your cheek with his large thumb.</p>
<p>"better?" he asked.</p>
<p>"Yeah," you confirmed, voice hoarse "I needed that. Just... everything, you know?"</p>
<p>Rus just nodded, but his eyes said everything. He looked tired and stressed, a look you had yet to see on his unemployed face.</p>
<p>"are you ready to go?" he asked gently.</p>
<p>"Go fucking where?" you huffed before you could stop yourself.</p>
<p>Even if you had somewhere to go, you didn't want to. You just wanted to sit here and be held. Rus had other ideas, however, pulling back the covers and hooking his arm under you knees.</p>
<p>"it's discharge day." he reminded you "somebody else needs this bed, so you need to go home."</p>
<p>"I don't have a home anymore." you sobbed, not emotionally strong enough to argue against being picked up "I don't have anything."</p>
<p>Rus just held you tighter, secure against his frame. You didn't even have a bag to bring with you, leaving just in the pyjamas you'd been wearing when you arrived. At least the nurses had washed them for you.</p>
<p>At the nurses desk, Black was finishing up the paperwork. The medical professionals clearly had a problem with a sobbing paraplegic being carried out the hospital, but the small skeleton was good at shutting down objections before they could begin.</p>
<p>"We'll need to stop a pharmacy on the way." he told his brother "The nurse gave me a list of things we need for the burns."</p>
<p>"one more stop won't hurt." Rus supposed.</p>
<p>You didn't say anything, a sense of emptiness passing over you. If this kept up, you were going to get overwhelmed again. Rus' familiar scent surrounded you, Blacks commanding voice breaking through the general din of the hospital.</p>
<p>Why did you think you were going to be alone? Hadn't you spent the last few months building a relationship with these guys? Hadn't you called each other family?</p>
<p>Because talk is cheap. So much of your job was based around that - broken promises and lies and abandonment. Even your blood relatives had turned their backs on you when you needed them all those years ago, why would tenants you'd only known for months do any different?</p>
<p>But they were different. They could have just not turned up, it's not like the hospital would turf you out on the street. A hospice maybe... But they did turn up. Black signed all the paperwork, linking him legally to your well being. Rus held you close, staining his clothes with your tears and the scent of antibiotic ointment that wafted from your legs.</p>
<p>You weren't alone, were you? You really weren't.</p>
<p>
  <strike>You'd been so scared they weren't going to come back. They they'd look right at you and tell you you'd ruined their lives...</strike>
</p>
<p>The first stop was the nearest disability centre, where you picked out your new wheelchair. The look on the salesmonsters face when Rus walked in carrying you was nothing short of priceless, but they quickly adjusted. The sense of control that came over you the second you sat in the chair was difficult to describe - the world was accessible again, your independence assured. For a few hundred, your limitations disappeared. The cold chrome under your fingers was freedom, the feeling of propelling yourself over the sales floor dominion.</p>
<p>You could handle this. You could handle anything.</p>
<p>And it was your favourite colour, so added bonus. You tried not to think about how that few hundred was going to add on to your other expenses, the potential scale of which left you cold.</p>
<p>It was only when you returned to the car, under the power of your own wheels, that you noticed the boys had a new vehicle, this one built specifically for wheelchair access. Had Blacks old car been damaged in the fire too?</p>
<p>All their stuff had gone up in flames too, hadn't it? Why did it take you so long to realise that?</p>
<p>The next stop was the vet. Gidget was of course happy to see everyone, but her excitement was nothing compared to Gabby's, who ran around in circles between everyone, tail going like a cyclone as she sniffed and barked, finally settling on licking your face like it was covered in peanut butter.</p>
<p>After that was food shopping. The act was so mundane it was almost jarring. Did they have milk at home? What were you going to have for dinner? Was Black going to make his lunches this week, or get them at work? Yes, that puppy food was on sale, but it would go stale before Gidget could eat it all.</p>
<p>You were exhausted by the time you got back in the car, your body putting all its energy into healing. You probably wouldn't be awake much longer, but there was one last place you wanted to go.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry to ask," you said to Black as he buckled himself in to the drivers seat "But could we stop by the house? Just for a moment?"</p>
<p>"Sure." he agreed easily "We can drive that way."</p>
<p>You weren't sure what you were expecting when you got there. Closure, maybe? Maybe seeing the house you'd spent your whole life in a pile of charred splinters would be just the full stop your mind needed to accept all this madness.</p>
<p>The familiar roads, the neighbouring houses you knew so well, all remained unchanged, and of course your mind expected to see your house where it had always been, whole and unmoving. The normality of everything else made it all the more jarring when you saw what remained.</p>
<p>The whole first floor was gone, and quite a bit of the ground one, the chimneys and a few large, blackened timbers sticking up from the carcass. The just-painted outer walls were also black, only a hint of the colour they had been here and there, close to the grass. You could just make out the inner walls from the gaping holes where the windows and doors had been, lines of charred wood and bricks marking out where your life had been. The back of the house, where the fire had been the worst, was gone completely.</p>
<p>Your vision blurred again, the stinging returning to your throat. The guys waited patiently, until you were good and ready, before starting the car again, heading off to wherever you were going to be calling home now.       </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Black and Rus are trying to change. Who better to understand their struggles than Axe and Sugar?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Keep it Moving Forward</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Pour one out, dear reader, in memorial to my job, as I join the ever swelling ranks of those made redundant thanks to Rona. I worked in an airport, so while the writing has been on the wall, it still royally sucks now that it's official. I've had some very crappy jobs with some very crappy companies in my time, but this one I actually really enjoyed. I know the regional manager is looking to transfer everyone possible, so fingers crossed there's something available in my area...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The family didn't stay in the safehouse for long. It was a place built and furnished for soldiers, not wheelchairs and dogs, and being there was making everyone a bit stressed.</p><p>Rus took it upon himself to find them a new house. With their list of necessities, the pool he had to choose from wasn't deep, which in a way made the whole thing easier. It had to be close enough to his brothers office, have a walled in garden for the dogs, and be walking distance from the shops. After a few days, he found a decently sized bungalow, less than 10 years old - 4 bed, 2.5 bath, utility room, half acre fenced in garden and off road parking. The area was mostly retirees, so the local infrastructure was already geared towards people with mobility issues, and there was a dog park fifteen minutes walk away. It was even cheaper than expected because there weren't any schools within half a hour of the place.</p><p>Rus ignored the realtor when they mentioned that the room he intended to make your office would make a lovely nursery after a coat of paint.</p><p>They stopped talking altogether when he bought the thing in one payment. A decade of living in guard-provided housing had let him build up an enviable nest egg, and the whole mortgage thing just sounded stressful.</p><p>He texted his always-busy brother the address, and left post-it notes on the internal doors indicating who he thought should be in what bedroom. When he returned the next morning, a couple had been shuffled, Blacks neat handwriting adding colours to paint the walls and other upgrades he deemed necessary. </p><p>Those improvements only took a couple of days - painting the walls, changing the flooring to something more wheelchair-friendly, adding security doors and windows, putting safety features in the bathrooms. It was all the same stuff he'd been doing at your place for the past few months, but it somehow felt more important now. Being busy kept his mind from wondering to unhelpful places...</p><p><strike>He'd kill them. If he saw them on the street, or even out of the corner of his eye, they were dead</strike>.   </p><p>Once the house was ready, it needed to be furnished. Luckily for him, you had a very definite sense of style, and your input stopped the entire place being flat-pack, mismatched and tacky.</p><p>"You're not sleeping on a mattress on the floor." you told him firmly as you wandered around a bed shop "Pick something."</p><p>"fine." he sighed, pointing at something random "that one."</p><p>"That one's five grand, pick something else."</p><p>"how the fuck is a bed five grand?!"</p><p>He was so glad you were with him. Never in his life had he bought plates, he had no idea how difficult it was to choose between the white ones with the silver butterfly design and the yellow and blue swirly designs. How many bed sets was too many? Was it better to have a washer/drier combo, or keep them separate? Did they really need a dish washer? Sure, leather sofas look nice, but become shabby quickly in the same home as scratchy dogs claws, so was it better to go for fabric?</p><p>In your office, he reinforced the wall of shelves for your heavy files, custom built your desk so you could roll your chair right under it, and built a special alcove for Gabby so her bed wasn't shoved into a corner.</p><p>Everything was coated liberally in fire-retardant paint and varnish.</p><p>He planted the borders of the garden with bushes and flowers that the dogs would enjoy, even planting a couple of trees, and laid paving stones so you could actually get around and enjoy the space.</p><p>Motion sensitive lights, CCTV pointing every direction hidden here and there, and climb-proof paint completed the look.</p><p>Your legs were still healing from the fire, so that was another distraction. He kept the wounds clean, re-wrapped the bandages every day, and made sure you got to your appointments.</p><p>
  <strike>He'd kill them, he'd fucking kill them.</strike>
</p><p>The nurses said he was a godsend, that the burns were healing much faster thanks to his attention.</p><p>The burns weren't the only issue, though. You'd been jittery for a while after leaving the hospital, and who could blame you - you'd lost literally everything - but once you truly accepted that the skels weren't going anywhere, you started to heal mentally as well.</p><p>They weren't going to abandon you. They weren't your mother.</p><p>With Rus taking care of the accommodation, you were free to focus on getting all your paperwork in order. The bank reissued your cards, you re-applied for your ID's, and made sure the people who needed to know had your new address. Getting a copy of your birth certificate was surprisingly hard, and obtaining a security deposit box at the bank surprisingly easy. After how difficult it was to get everything, he couldn't blame you for not leaving it in the house.</p><p>The very day the large items of furniture were delivered, the family moved out of the safe house and into their new home.</p><p>It hit Rus like a sledgehammer one night, as he re-entered the living room after loading the dishwasher. He found his brother lounging in an armchair, almost asleep as he watched TV, you checking your emails on the laptop work had given you as you sat on the sofa, Gabby sprawled over the rug at your feet and Gidget halfheartedly chewing on the larger dogs ear. </p><p>He did this.</p><p>This house, everything in it, this sense of normality.</p><p>He did this.</p><p>He suddenly felt so very accomplished, far moreso than any revenge could achieve. He kept his tired and traumatised family safe, turned this empty house into a home that smelled like nutmeg and togetherness.</p><p>He did all of it. His brother was busy with work, you with putting your life back together, but <em>this</em>... he did this. He understood then, how Sugar was able to turn his back on revenge. Would Rus have accomplished half of this if he channelled his energy into finding the bastards and making them pay for what they did, or would you still be crammed into a safe house that was entirely unsuitable, having nothing to your names?</p><p>Noticing him just stood there, you looked over.</p><p>"You okay?" you asked.</p><p>You looked so cosy, snuggled up against the arm of the sofa in your brushed cotton pyjamas. Rus sat right beside you, wrapping one boney arm around your shoulder.</p><p>"i'm good." he answered with a smile "what are we watching?"</p><p>"I... don't know." you confessed "I was reading emails. Black?"</p><p>His brothers only reply was a loud snore.</p>
<hr/><p>Black was exhausted. Alphys was throwing all possible work at him, even stuff that was well below his level. He knew why, of course - to keep him busy. Busy hands, busy mind. Not give him time to think about what he wanted to do. She was a Fell as well, after all. Most of the guard was. Every guard in the area was tense, chomping at the bit - it was one of theirs who had been attacked, one of their commanders no less! Retaliation was called for!</p><p>But that wasn't how things were done here. No-one wanted to go back to the barbarism of the underground, no matter how angry they were. The lawmakers and politicians could see the tension and restraint radiating from the guard, they knew that if they didn't handle this correctly then Fells across the country would riot. A lot of said Fells were keeping one eye on Black, waiting for any indication that Now Was The Time. The regional commander kept a tight smile on his face, telling anyone who asked to have faith in the justice system.</p><p>There'd be hell to pay if it failed.</p><p>The last thing anyone needed was a scandal, and political dissidents were always looking for one. As big as this was getting, the guard needed to make sure their paperwork was bulletproof - cross every 't', dot every 'i', make sure everything was signed in triplicate and filed with more precision than the words in the dictionary. They needed a clear and legal line of evidence so that when they bought the hammer down, no-one could accuse them of scapegoating. </p><p>Luckily, they weren't exactly dealing with professional criminals. Within 24 hours of the fire, they'd been granted warrants to raid every single one of your family members homes - since they had already broken in once and been harassing you for months, they were the obvious suspects. Most were completely clean, of course, and abjectly horrified on finding out why they were being questioned.</p><p>Then Alphys and her task force arrived at your mothers trailer. The entire thing stunk to high hell of gasoline, despite not having a car and being nowhere near a petrol station. Within ten minutes of arriving, they found shoes which matched the prints left at the scene, clothes doused in gas, and a half empty box of cooks matches, shoved into a plastic bag under the bed to hide them. They also found the last few things from the burglary, linking your mother and her husband to both crimes.</p><p>Black was grateful to his friend and superior for taking charge of this - he couldn't be objective, not when it was his family who had nearly died. Even Alphys barely managed it, but there was no way to be completely impartial about this. </p><p>No lawyer would defend them. Even putting aside the political aspect of Blacks involvement, the two of them had deliberately burned down their own disabled child's home, knowing full well they were asleep inside - taking the case would be career suicide. The bastards even applied to Silent Scream - the people <em>you bloody worked for!</em> - claiming political persecution. Your own supervisor told them exactly where they could stick their application. In the end, they had no choice but to accept a public defender, some kid fresh out of school whose name would quickly be forgotten.</p><p>The press soon got ahold of the story, but luckily it wasn't deemed interesting enough to go national.</p><p>Until some intelligent bastard figured out who his cousin was.</p><p>"I don't understand." you told him as the two of you folded some sheets of a Sunday afternoon "What does your cousin have to do with anything?"</p><p>"You remember echo?" he asked you "The drug?"</p><p>"Vaguely." you admitted "I haven't heard about it since I was a teenager, though."</p><p>"Only two people knew how to make it." he explained "People who happened to be my cousins."</p><p>"Oh no."</p><p>"That's not half of it." he sighed, placing the folded sheet on the pile and gabbing the next one "That bastard Red... we're still dealing with the political fallout of what he did, not just here but in the Southland as well."</p><p>"Well, now you have to tell me." you pointed out, taking the corners of the sheet he gave you.</p><p>He spared you many of the details, partly because a lot of the information was still classified, and partly because he didn't want to think about it. You were rendered speechless by the whole thing, clearly processing as Black put away the cleaned and folded laundry.</p><p>"Rus never mentioned getting shot." you told him distractedly "How long did it take him to recover?"</p><p>"A couple of months." Black confirmed "It was what convinced him to finally retire from the guard."</p><p>"That's so messed up..."</p><p>"Yup." he agreed with a tried sigh "And now the press is falling all over themselves, wondering which way to take the story. Yes, my brother and I are related to the monsters who invented echo, but we're also war heroes who stopped vulnerable monsters getting burned alive. And then there's the shit Red did <em>outside</em> of that..."</p><p>"What happened to them?" you asked "The human, I mean?"</p><p>"You remember Axe and Sugar? The cousins you met when we went to the valleys?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"It's their human."</p><p>"No way..." you breathed.</p><p>Your eyes went serious as a thought occurred to you. From the way you looked away from him, Black knew exactly what you really wanted to ask.</p><p>"You can say it, you know." he bid.</p><p>"Say what?" you excused.</p><p>"'Aren't you afraid of becoming just like him?'" he guessed.</p><p>The way you bit your lip told him he was right.</p><p>"And the answer is yes. Of course I am. We're both Fells, we're both Sanses... I'm absolutely terrified of becoming just like him."</p><p>With another deep sigh, Black closed the drawer he had been filling, leaning against the chest of drawers. You waited patiently, eyes full of thoughts.</p><p>"Every decision I've ever made has been the opposite of his." he thought aloud "And I have to keep reminding myself that <em>he</em> was the outlier, not me. Every other Sans isn't like him, and I don't have to be either. That doesn't mean I don't... police myself, when it comes to you. If there's even the slightest chance of me falling off the deep end like he did, I need to catch it sooner rather than later."</p><p>"You aren't him." you said certainly "Anyone who knows you can see that. And you said yourself that you don't love me in a romantic way. You think it's something about humans that caused it?"</p><p>"No... probably not." he suggested "Other Sanses have human partners and they didn't go off the deep end."</p><p>"You keep saying that." you interrupted "'Other Sanses'. What does that mean?"</p><p>That... was not a conversation he felt like getting into.</p><p>"It's complicated." he said quietly, hoping you'd let the matter drop.</p><p>Luckily for him, you did.</p><p>"Well, I believe in you." you told him certainly "Just because you were both Fells, that doesn't mean you're living the same life."</p><p>"But sometimes I understand him." he begrudgingly admitted "Some of the things he did make perfect sense to me."</p><p>"Of course they will." you said so casually it was a little shocking "From what you said, it seems like everything he did was based on some kind of twisted logic. Just because you understand that doesn't mean you agree with it."</p><p>"God I love you." he chuckled "You always know just what to say."</p><p>"Just one of the many services I provide." you replied with a smile.</p>
<hr/><p> It turned out you had accidentally lied to Black - it turned out you did know about Red, having studied the case briefly at law school, and again once you joined Silent Scream. It was impossible to imagine that the psychopath you had read about and the supportive skeletons you knew were related, let alone so closely. It had bothered you so much that you looked the case up online, hoping to find a picture of the convicts to help you understand Blacks problem better.</p><p>Which you certainly did. For a solid minute, you thought you were looking at a picture of your friend, until your shocked eyes were able to pick out their differences - Red had been broader and rounder, built like a thug, and had a mean glint to his eyes. Lots of little things morphed that face further from the one you knew - the set of the jaw, the shape of the eyes, the height of the cheekbones - but when you looked away and back, your brain confused itself again. No wonder Black was so concerned about becoming like him, when they resembled each other so strongly.</p><p>However, you had meant what you said - you had the utmost faith in Black, even if he didn't.</p><p>"Does it ever bother you?" you asked Rus as you sat in the garden eating lunch.</p><p>"sometimes." he admitted "me and him butt heads a lot, but only because we had similar personalities."</p><p>However, he seemed much more relaxed about it than his brother was, giving you a smile.</p><p>"luckily, i'm more like some far better people than i was him." he explained "and i've got those people looking out for my well being. even if i slip up, i've got a long way to fall, you know?"</p><p>Uncomfortable silence fell as a thought occurred to you. You watched Gabby and Gidget attacking the sprinkler in the grass as you found your words.</p><p>"Is that what that was about before?" you asked carefully "That fight we had before the fire?"</p><p>"... yeah." Rus confirmed, putting his fork down like his pasta revolted him "just a slip up. it won't happen again."</p><p>"Are we ever going to talk about it?" you pried "What it was all about?"</p><p>The skeleton fiddled with his fork, clearly thinking.</p><p>"not right now." he decided "maybe, once we're all in a better head space. sugar waited ten years, i can wait a few more months."</p><p>The name 'Sugar' was coming up more and more lately with Rus. You were glad he had somebody he could rely on, or even look up to, right now. While you had a notion what was going on in that head of his, you decided it would be better for him to get to it in his own time.</p>
<hr/><p>It was shortly after dinner one evening that there was a knock on your front door. The skeletons had exchanged a serious look before Black went to answer it, Rus going so far as to block the door to the kitchen with his body. Who exactly did they expect to come by that they would need to protect you so obviously.</p><p>"How the fuck do you avoid those fucking paparazzi everyday?!" Alphys loud voice demanded from the front door "It took us an hour to lose those bastards!"</p><p>Rus visibly relaxed, moving out of the doorway and allowing you through. You couldn't even remember the last time you say the ladies - it must have been Undynes baby shower... wow, that felt like forever ago!</p><p>A now very pregnant Undyne had escorted her fiancee into the house. While Monster pregnancies didn't produce the big tummy bump human pregnancies did, Undynes face showed the exact same amount of strain as anyone who was very sick of being pregnant now, thank you very much. Both ladies were happy to see you, wrapping you up in overdue hugs - with everything that had gone down, you were happy to see them as well.</p><p>"You should have told us you were coming over." Black scolded lightly, even as he led them over to the sofa "Is this something you couldn't tell me at work?"</p><p>Undyne and Rus were still hugging, as if it had been years instead of months since their last meeting.</p><p>"We only talked about it tonight." Alphys admitted, slouching down onto the sofa so hard the entire room sighed "With everything going on, we didn't want to risk leaving it."</p><p>"Is everything okay?" you asked, plonking yourself beside her.</p><p>Undyne untangled herself from Rus and sat next to her fiancee, taking her hand. Rus stood behind you, cleaning casually on the back of your chair. </p><p>"Listen... we've been thinking..." Alphys started, rubbing the back of her neck "You guys... do you remember what this Saturday is?"</p><p>Silence fell on the room. Even Black looked stumped.</p><p>"It's our wedding." Undyne helpfully provided.</p><p>"Oh!" Black exclaimed, looking like he'd been slapped in the face "Already?! That is to say, of course! How could we forget!"</p><p>"Relax." Alphys assured "With all the shit you guys have going on, we figured it wasn't exactly your top priority."</p><p>"sorry." Rus admitted "just slipped our minds."</p><p>"We still have a few days to put some outfits together." Black knew "Thanks for reminding us, though."</p><p>"About that..." Alphys started, still looking uncomfortable "We've been talking about it, and... you guys are dealing with a lot right now, so you need all the time off you can get..."</p><p>"What we're saying," Undyne interjected "Is that you have our... permission... to not come."</p><p>"Denied." Black replied immediately.</p><p>"rejected." Rus agreed.</p><p>"Of course we'll be there." you translated.</p><p>"Weddings are stressful." Alphys reasoned "Even ones that aren't yours."</p><p>"It's a welcome distraction." you argued "You aren't exactly asking the world of us."</p><p>You saw all argument leave the soon-to-be-weds eyes. They clearly very much wanted their long time friends to be there, at the happiest day of their lives. You wondered what mental gymnastics they must have put themselves through to justify telling them not to come.</p><p>"Are you sure?" Undyne tried halfheartedly all the same "We know you guys are under a lot of stress..."</p><p>"wait, fuck, i have to put on shoes, don't i?" Rus pointed out "i changed my mind, then, i'm not going."</p><p>It was just the joke the ladies needed, their laughs releasing the pressure they'd been bottling up. </p><p>Without further ado, they let you knew what the wedding colours were, reminding you of the venue and what time everything was happening. Truth be told, formal clothes shopping and a good wedding were just the distraction you all needed.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Since so many of you have been kind enough to share your favourite books and fics with me, allow me to share some media I love with all of you!<br/>It's a podcast/internet radio/youtube show called What The Fuck Is Wrong With You by Radio Dead Air. Every week it aggregates the stupidest news stories from across the world, and just last week celebrated it's 20th anniversary, so there's a lot of back catalogue to go through for a new fan! (I'm not being sponsored, I just really love these guys. I've personally been watching about 10 years now...) The hosts are funny people, they often show off their adorable cats, and the level of stupid in stories they find is mind blowing!<br/>It is an 18+ show, though, so bare that in mind if you decide to seek it out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Keep It Official</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guess who lost half this chapter and had to start it all over again?</p><p>Chances are pretty good it was me T_T</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh my god, you look <em>amazing!"</em></p><p>Black preened at your compliments, adjusting his military dress uniform's collar. It fit him as though it were tailored, pressed to perfection, shoes shone to the nth degree with a row of medals pinned to the breast.</p><p>"I scrub up well, don't I?" he agreed "I don't often get to break out my formal duds."</p><p>"And so humble, too." Alphys scoffed, rolling her eyes before grabbing Black's skull and giving it a polish, making you laugh as he shrieked.</p><p>You weren't looking half bad yourself, but since you had gotten dressed at home you had received your compliments there instead. Even Gabby and Gidget had been dressed up in bows and plied with numerous treats to make up for their baths.</p><p>Undyne and Alphys weren't doing anything by halves - they had rented out a fucking <em>castle</em>, complete with suits of armour and centuries-old tapestries hanging on the walls, and covered the place in blue, yellow and white flowers. Alphys' dress uniform put even Blacks to shame, covered in gold accents without being tacky, complete with an elaborate ceremonial epee. She must have shed her skin recently, as her scales looked particularly radiant.</p><p>Alphys must have been giving Black far more slack in his best monster duties than you realised, because if he had had any hand in planning this, he wold most definitely not have been able to keep it to himself.</p><p>The door to the fancy dressing room opened, Rus quickly poking his head in. Spotting you, he came in properly, almost looking like he was in a rush.</p><p>"hey, need to borrow you real quick." he announced as he grabbed the back of your chair "you look good, bro."</p><p>"Everything okay?" Alphys asked, understandably alerted by his agitated demeanour.</p><p>"everything's fine, don't worry about it." he swore as he wheeled you out into the hall.</p><p>Rus knew how much you hated someone else grabbing your chair, so whatever was going on must be serious enough to make him forget. A hundred horrible possibilities crossed through your mind even as you gripped the armrests through the long hallway and into another, even fancier dressing room. This one was covered in soft furnishings and flowers like a princesses boudoir, a massive ornate mirror leaning against the wall that got the best light through the wall-length windows.</p><p>Appropriately, it was here you found the bride. It was perhaps fitting that the amphibious monster was wearing a fishtail dress, but you kept that particular observation to yourself. It was a white and gold halter neck design, and with Undyne being so tall and slim she was the very model of 'elegance', even without the curves that usually filled out dresses like this. </p><p>Unfortunately, the dress was the only elegant thing about her right now, as she was ruining her lovely manicure by picking at her claws and smudging her makeup as he worried her lips.</p><p>"Oh thanks the stars, you're here!" she declared when she saw you "I've committed a level five fuck up! You're the only one who can help me now!"</p><p>"I'll do what I can." you swore, although you still weren't sure what the problem was "What's going on?"</p><p>"Okay, so," Undyne tried to explain "So, every time I went down the list of stuff I needed, I would look at Alphys, yeah? Feet, shoes. Legs, pantyhose. Body, dress."</p><p>She gestured both hands at Rus as she listed off body parts, finishing at his skull, where she suddenly threw her hands back in despair.</p><p>"ALPHYS DOESN'T HAVE ANY HAIR!!" she almost screamed, tugging on her bright red locks "I FORGOT TO BOOK A HAIRDRESSER!!!"</p><p>You desperately held back your laughter, which threatened to break your ribs with how much it wanted out. Funny as it was, you could see how it would be upsetting for a bride on her wedding day.</p><p>"I'm not sure how I can help with that." you admitted "I don't know any hairdressers."</p><p>"Because!" she declared "You have hair!"    </p><p>Well, of course you... ah. Two skeletons, a lizard, a couple of ghosts setting up the final details and two non-sentient, non-thumb-having dogs were the only other people in the bridal party. It would be safe to say none of them knew the difference between a crocodile clip and a snap clip.</p><p>"Just because I have hair, that doesn't mean I know what to do with it." you explained "Besides, your hair's already up, why not leave it like it is?"</p><p>"Because it looks like this EVERY DAY!" she shrieked "I don't look like a bride, I look like a grease monkey who put on a dress!"</p><p>Seeing her genuine upset made the situation less funny by the second. Out of everyone present, you really were the only person she could turn to for this, and there was only one hour left until the ceremony.</p><p>"Okay, I may not know much about hair," you tried to soothe as she started chewing on her lips again "But I can follow a tutorial like a boss - if you can find what you want on YouTube-"</p><p>You didn't even finish talking before Undyne pulled out her phone. It seemed she already knew what she wanted, as she found the video in seconds before handing you the device. A loose French braid... yeah, you could handle that. The maker of the tutorial had helpfully listed the various things they used to get the look in the description at the bottom, so you turned to the waiting Rus.</p><p>"This is what we're going to need." you declared, pointing to the list "You can get most of this in pharmacies, but make sure the pins match her hair as close as possible, okay?"</p><p>Rus leaned down to get a better look at the phone. If he minded being ordered around, he didn't let it show - if anything, you being bossy just seemed to amuse him.</p><p>"be right back." he swore before disappearing.</p><p>"Alright, have a seat and take your hair down." you told Undyne, positioning yourself behind her stool "And tell me you at least have a hairbrush with you."</p><p>Luckily for Undyne, she had good hair. Leaving it in that tight bun all day every day had tricked it into staying wavy when it was down, which helped it look fancy without too much effort. Rus reappeared within five minutes, handing you various sprays and small army of bobby pins as you asked for them. The end result was messy, but as long as you could make it look like it was on purpose then Undyne could make it work. </p><p>It mostly did, but there were one or two areas in the bright red mess that were obviously wrong, even to your untrained eye, and anything you tried only made them look worse. Time was quickly running out, and judging from the way Undynes leg wouldn't stop jumping up and down, she knew it. Just as you were starting to lose hope, Rus was struck by inspiration, clicking his fingers (somehow...) before disappearing. He returned moments later with a vase of flowers from the main hall, which matched the blooms in the brides bouquet. You saw what he was aiming for without him saying anything, taking the blooms and cutting short the long stems.</p><p>"Rus, you're a bloody genius." you told him as you stood back to admire your handiwork.</p><p>It definitely looked like it was on purpose now, the flowers covering up your mistakes. You took a picture and passed your phone to Undyne for the final appraisal, her sigh of relief almost orgasmic.</p><p>"Oh thank the stars." she breathed "It's cute. I can live with that."</p><p>"you're welcome." Rus teased.</p><p>Remembering her manners, Undyne swung around on her stool, fixing you both with a bright smile.</p><p>"Thank you!" she declared earnestly "You've saved the day!"</p><p>"It wasn't that serious." you dismissed.</p><p>"Of course it was!" Undyne immediately disagreed "Have you seen Alphys' scales?! They're shining like the sun right now!"</p><p>You just laughed, unable to argue that point, as she quickly touched up her make up.</p><p>"Take off that damn hoodie!" she scolded Rus as the three of you got ready to head to the hall "It's show time!"</p><p>"aw, but gidget's sleeping." he bemoaned.</p><p>"I don't care!" she shrieked over his laughter "And you better not have wrinkled your shirt!"</p>
<hr/><p>The wedding was... well, a wedding.</p><p>Golden light shone through the stained glass windows so richly that the flowers almost sang, as the monsters (and one or two humans, besides yourself) shuffled in their seats. Alphys was reduced to a stuttering mess when she saw Undyne in her dress for the first time, tripping over her vows until her bride kissed some stability back into her bones. Black and Rus played their parts to perfection, handing over the rings when asked and standing to attention the rest of the time. The officiate talked forever, as they always did during these things, when the only thing anyone was here for was to see these two declare their undying love for each other.</p><p>Weddings were boring. If they weren't so rare, no-one would put up with them.</p><p>After the ceremony was the designated picture taking time. The official photographer took about a million shots, half of which you were dragged into. You got out of the last hour of posing by taking Gabby and Gidget for a walk, Rus silently begging to be taken with you. You couldn't help teasing him as you rolled away by making the 'crying' hand motion in his direction.</p><p>By the time you got back, the party was starting. Black pulled out the chair between him and his brother at the table, leaving enough room for you and Gabby.</p><p>"It's not an open bar?" you noted as you looked at the drinks menu "Boo."</p><p>"Trust me, you don't want these guys getting too drunk." he assured "Soldiers get rowdy."</p><p>"so rowdy." Rus agreed.</p><p>Everything proceeded just as it should. After an hour or so, the sit-down meal was served on appropriately fancy china. You wondered for a moment if it was bone china, but you weren't exactly going to check with your hosts and two actual skeletons at the table with you. After the meal came the speeches, which were the usual level of cringe even if the brothers weren't out to embarrass their friends by telling tales. The final formality was the first dance, set to some slow and dramatic piano music, before the any pretence fell apart and the guests busied themselves with getting drunk and dancing atrociously to whatever the DJ was playing.</p><p>"Oh my god, we could make you metal legs!" Alphys enthused late into the night, too drunk to notice or care how inappropriate this conversation was "How cool would that be?!"</p><p>"It's not my legs that are the problem." you told her anyway, awkward beyond words "It's my spine."</p><p>Alphys just downed her whole bottle of beer, squinting at you in confusion.</p><p>"I don't get it." she admitted.</p><p>Your saviour appeared in the form of Black, who appeared from the dance floor like an angel from heaven. </p><p>"Mind if I cut in?" he requested of his superior before offering you his hand "May I have this dance."</p><p>"I can't dance." you pointed out, awkwardness level rising further.</p><p>"Incorrect!" Black declared "I've done my research, I know how to make it work!"</p><p>"Have you now?" you chuckled as he took up your hand and encouraged you to follow him.</p><p>"C'mon!" he encouraged "If people at can dance in wheelchairs at the Olympics, you can dance with me for three minutes!"</p><p>If anybody could make dancing with someone in a wheelchair work, it was probably Black, so follow him you did. Luckily it wasn't too fast of a song that was playing, so your skeleton friend took your hand, placing the other on your shoulder and encouraging you to do the same.</p><p>"Okay, make sure your brakes are off." he recommended "And keep your arms a little stiff."</p><p>For the first time in your life, you did what (to your limited experience at least) passed as dancing. Black did most of the work, using the grip he had on your hand and shoulder to pull your chair, even spinning you around. When the song changed to something faster, he encouraged you to follow his lead, making more elaborate gestures with his arms in time with the music. Sometimes he danced around the chair, sometimes he held your hands and swung the chair around him.</p><p>You had to laugh. He made it work.</p><p>You weren't sure how long you danced with him, but it was a lot longer than three minutes. Every time he did something to make you laugh, his face lit up in a million watt smile. You didn't even notice how the other dancers gave you a wide berth so an accidental collision wouldn't ruin your fun, completely overtaken by the music. Who knew Black could dance? Certainly not you!</p><p>Just as you were wondering how to tell him you were getting tired when he was clearly having fun, Rus appeared from the crowd. He smelled strongly of cigarettes, so you could guess he had just been outside smoking.</p><p>"can I borrow this one?" he asked his brother, placing a hand on your shoulder.</p><p>"If you must." Black agreed, still in high spirits "I need another drink anyway!"</p><p>Rus led you back across the floor to the outside doors, leading you out onto the veranda. There were a few nice potted plants here, and down a long flight of stone steps was a lush, well manicured garden with an ornate fountain in the centre. No ramp down, though, so here you stayed, Rus leaning against the stone railing and looking out over the nice view with you. Gabby wondered out from the dining hall, clearly getting tired, and flopped onto the floor at his feet.</p><p>It had been a long ol' day for her, full of new smells and unusual happenings. No wonder she was tired. She wagged her tail a little when you scratched her behind the ear, but made no move to get up.</p><p>"Did you need me for something?" you asked when Rus didn't say anything.</p><p>"nah." he admitted "you just looked like you needed help. it's no shame not to be able to keep up with my bro."</p><p>"It was fun." you told him honestly, laughing a little "But yeah, I was starting to wane."</p><p>"thanks for dancing with him. he won't admit it, but he's been studying videos for hours every night for the past few days."</p><p>You could believe it.</p><p>"I didn't know he cared that much about dancing." you pondered, leaning on the surprisingly cold railing as a cool breeze rolled over you.</p><p>"he doesn't" Rus confirmed "he cares about you."</p><p>"It's kind of amazing, how quickly you two assimilated into my life." you agreed "This time last year I had no idea who you were, and now I can't imagine my life without you."</p><p>You paused a moment as a bittersweet concern washed over you, the breeze to able to blow it away.</p><p>"Kind of makes me worry about next year." you admitted.</p><p>"there's nothing to worry about." Rus immediately reassured you "once we're settled in, we're very difficult to get rid of. like ticks."</p><p>"I want it on record that you said that, not me." you chuckled.</p><p>"oh shit, should i have been taking notes this whole time? my bad."</p><p>Rus shifted from his position, slouching on the stone bench beside you and following your line of slight to stare at the view. It must be driving Undyne nuts that he put his dog hoodie back on, the pocket shifting as Gidget got comfortable in this new position. The two of you sat in familiar, comfortable silence for a while, as the sound of the party going on twenty feet away filled the air.</p><p>"you ever think about the future?" Rus asked after a while "like... where you want to be five years from now?"</p><p>"Every now and then," you confirmed "Mostly work related stuff, but life happens so quickly, you know? Stuff can change overnight, and you'll never see it coming. You?"</p><p>"i didn't used to." he admitted "i never saw the point. i could dust at any second, so why bother? my bro was always the motivated one, i just backed him up. been thinking about it a lot since i retired, though. got time now, i guess."</p><p>"It's so weird to think of you as 'retired'." you pondered "You come to any conclusions?"</p><p>"yeah." he confirmed "five years from now, i want to be married and have at least two more dogs."</p><p>"Just two?" you laughed "How restrained of you!"</p><p>"of course." he joked along "i am the very model of restraint."</p><p>"You going to start dating then? I can't imagine you going to that amount of effort on a regular basis."</p><p>"nah, i already know who i'm going to marry."</p><p>"Oh yeah? Anyone I know?"</p><p>Rus just looked at you, eyes not wavering for a moment. As much as you wanted to tease him more, it seemed like he had finally worked up the nerve, and you didn't want to discourage him.</p><p>"We're actually going to talk about this, then?" you asked.</p><p>"you knew?" he replied, although he didn't actually sound surprised.</p><p>"I suspected." you confirmed "We are together pretty much all day every day."</p><p>Whatever confidence he had seemed to drain, as his fingers began to twitch, and the boy looked everywhere but at you.</p><p>"you... you know me." he said at length "you know what i can... and what i can't... give you. i guess i just...that is to say... i don't even know..."</p><p>"Stop psyching yourself out." you scolded lightly.</p><p>That seemed to be the exact thing he needed to hear, as he looked back at you. He let out a small laugh as he smiled again.    </p><p>"i don't have anything particularly great to offer." he said, but with confidence "i can't promise exotic holidays, or jewels, or the moon on a string. but i can promise that i love you, and i can make sure we have a nice house and food on the table. i'll do everything possible to make you happy, if you'll have me."</p><p>"Buddy, I'm a paralegal who never bothered learning how to drive." you pointed out "Exotic holidays and jewels were never on my priorities list. And what would I even do with the moon if I had it?"</p><p>Rus snerked out a laugh, quickly tampering it down. Your heart started to hurt, telling you to shut up and stay safe as you readied yourself to express some actual feelings.</p><p>"To be perfectly honest," you began "My list of traits for my perfect partner was never particularly long. Besides just being a basically decent person, the number one thing I've always wanted was... someone who would stay, when things got difficult. Someone who would think I was worth it. When you guys picked me up from the hospital..."</p><p>You had to stop when your voice broke. It was still kind of raw, thinking about the whole thing. You still woke up every morning expecting to be in your old bedroom, and the burns on your legs, while mostly healed, still needed treatment.</p><p>"I was so scared you wouldn't come." you admitted quietly.</p><p>Rus laid a large hand gently on your back, but didn't say anything, giving you a moment to straighten out your thoughts. It was amazing how a skull managed to look so soft as he gazed at you patiently.  </p><p>"It's... extra effort." you tried to explain "To be with a disabled person, even a fairly low maintenance one like me. Am I worth that to you?"</p><p>"you know i love being lazy." he admitted easily "but yes, without question. besides, everyone has their something. i mean, you'll have to put up with my brother, after all, and that's a <em>lot</em>."</p><p>You couldn't help but laugh at his dramatics, making him smile again, before he grew thoughtful.</p><p>"that, and i can't... give you a family..." he said "i know you've never mentioned wanting kids, but-"</p><p>"There's more to a family than children." you interrupted "You don't need to have babies to legitimise a relationship."</p><p>Rus was quiet for a moment, chewing over your words. You knew this was a legitimate issue to him, something that still caused him pain after all these years, and you only hoped what you said offered him some kind of comfort. You meant it, of course - having kids wasn't that important to you, and if that changed in the future there was always adoption.</p><p>"you know what i hate most about that chair?" he asked after a moment.</p><p>"Tell me."</p><p>"that i can't hold you as close as i want to." he said "i can't just wrap you up in my arms whenever i want. not in public, anyway."</p><p>The thumb stroking slowly up and down your shoulders suddenly gained new meaning, the way he was looking at you sending shivers down your spine.</p><p>"You guys are staying in the castle tonight, right?" you asked.</p><p>"yeah?" Rus confirmed, not seeing where you were going with this "it's a hell of a room, real fancy. only one bed, though, so m'lord and i have to share. you're not?"</p><p>"They don't exactly build these places with lifts." you pointed out "I'm staying in the guesthouse."  </p><p>"ah."</p><p>"It's too bad I can't see your room." you told him "You want to come see mine?"</p><p>"is there something wrong with it?"</p><p>"No."</p><p>You thought maybe you were being too subtle, as he continued not to get it. Just as you were about to come out and say it, his whole skull went slack in realisation.</p><p>"oh."</p><p>The skeleton jumped to his feet, pulling up his hood to hide his blushing, but the literal orange glow was difficult to cover.</p><p>"let me... put gabby and gidget in... my brothers room." he suggested "won't be long."</p><p>Rus took a step, then halted, teetering for a moment before he turned to you. His face was still lit up, and he had to shove his hands in his pocket to stop himself hiding behind them.</p><p>"hey," he said, leaning down and offering you his arm "feel my hoodie. it's soft, right?"</p><p>It was your turn to be confused, but you did indeed feel the sleeve.</p><p>"you know what that is?" he asked.</p><p>"Fleece?" you guessed.</p><p>"husband material."</p><p>"... I cannot believe I just fell for that." you laughed, pushing him away in mock indignation "And don't you mean 'boyfriend material'?"</p><p>"i know what i said," was his only answer, giving you a sly, confident grin as he coaxed Gabby to her feet "don't move, i won't be long."</p><p>You watched him go, feeling undeniably giddy. Confidence suited him.</p><p>You hadn't expected today to end this way, but you weren't at all disappointed that it had. You turned back to look at the view, hoping the breeze would cool down your face as all the blood in your body rushed through it.</p><p>'Husband material'. Smug bastard...</p><p>...</p><p>...</p><p>
  <strike>Your smug bastard now, though.</strike>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Keep it Low</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>TW - Death</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I don't want to write this.<br/>I don't want to write this.<br/>I DON'T WANT TO WRITE THIS.</p>
<p>But as you'll soon see, this was the only possible conclusion, and I can't put it off forever, try as I might. </p>
<p>UGH, here we go...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The date of the trial came around soon enough. You went along just to see what the fuck they had to say for themselves, Black and Rus either side of you and Gabby's head on your lap as the court was called to order. The public defender had the sense to plead no contest, but was shouted down by your mother and her husband, who insisted they weren't guilty.</p>
<p>The judge did not appreciate the interruption. All in all, it was a quick trial - the evidence against them was air tight, and shouting over the witnesses didn't exactly endear them to the jury. You and the boys didn't even need to testify, the catalogue of proof Black and the guard had put together telling the full story. You should probably have been mad at your skeletal friend for keeping your post all this time, but under the circumstances you could let it go.</p>
<p>The jury came back quickly. Guilty, of course. Had they not been so insistent on shouting over their lawyer, the judge probably wouldn't have been so hard on them.</p>
<p>"ten years?" Rus seethed quietly as the gavel met the bench "that's nothing!"</p>
<p>"It's more than most arsonists get." you assured him.</p>
<p>"But they tried to kill you!" Black hissed.</p>
<p>You just took his hand, letting him steam.</p>
<p>The judge gave them four days to get their affairs in order before prison, since despite everything they weren't considered dangerous. They didn't have the money or connections to try and run away, and considering they couldn't even shut up for their own trial, you doubted they would last long if they did. </p>
<p>You didn't feel much of anything. Your sense of grief was solely directed to your former home, and all the family memories that lay in ashes. Items that had been in your family five generations, irreplaceable photos, your own memento's... all gone. Feeling the sturdy large bones of Rus holding your one hand, and smaller, almost marble-like bones of Black in the other, you were reminded that it could have been far, far worse. In the end, all you lost was stuff, and stuff could be replaced. Your family was still safe.</p>
<p>As the guilty were led out, Rus and Black were immediately on their feet, surrounding you on both sides. You were confused for a moment, until you saw what they had no doubt cottoned onto hours ago: other members of your extended family sat in the rows of seats behind you. One of the very few advantages of being in a wheelchair was that you usually got a front row seat, so you hadn't noticed them filing in over the course of the trial.</p>
<p>You would have liked to believe that they were simply concerned, that the enormity of what had happened finally spurred them into acting like a real family for the first time in forever.</p>
<p>However, you weren't that naïve. With the trial over, the insurance would pay out, and once the land was sold you would be sitting on nearly one and a half million. You had to hand it to your late grandmother - she sure knew how to pick an insurance plan. The house, all those antiques, were worth far more than you expected, and the land itself was in such a good area that you had developers overbidding each other to get their hands on it. It wasn't enough that you never had to work again, but you certainly never had to worry about the bills again, and as long as you budgeted carefully you'd be on easy street.</p>
<p>They wanted the money. It was all they ever fucking wanted from you. You could see it in their eyes, the way they locked on you and silently pleaded for attention as they sorted out what sob story to tell you.</p>
<p>Fuck them. Even more than you had previously thought that, truly, sincerely, <em>fuck them</em>. Where were they when you were in the hospital, with your legs burned to shit? Did they offer you a room when you were homeless after the fire, pay out of their own pockets to help you put your life back together? No, they didn't. Black and Rus did that. Now that you were guaranteed a pay out, they point blank refused to let you pay them back. Those were 'family expenses', they said. They almost seemed insulted you even offered.</p>
<p>Black muttered apologies as he took the handles of your chair in his hands, Rus leading the way out of the courtroom, standing at his full height. It seemed your relatives got the message, as they simply stayed back and stared at you, silently pleading with their eyes. Gabby even let out a low growl as you passed them, something she almost never did, but calmed down when you pet her soothingly.</p>
<p>You had only been in the courthouse once or twice - being a paralegal who worked from home, it wasn't typically necessary - and the grand old building gave this whole fiasco a real sense of officiality, and more importantly, finality, every step on the patterned marble floor drawing a hard line under the events.</p>
<p>"you wanna get pizza on the way home?" Rus asked.</p>
<p>"Wait!" a high voice called, echoing in the empty hallway "Wait, one moment please!"</p>
<p>Curious, you all looked around. Quickly approaching you was a group of people, shoes clacking erratically as they rushed to catch you. Your mother and her husband, a large red monster with a TV camera on one shoulder bearing the logo of the countries worst tabloid channel, and a short woman in a red suit who wanted to be Mettaton so badly it hurt stopped in front of you.</p>
<p>"Thanks for waiting," the woman said with a smile, fishing a microphone from her pocket "Won't be a moment."</p>
<p>She cleared her throat, neatened her hair, and turned her back to you, facing the cameraman, who gave her the thumbs up.</p>
<p>"Thanks Jim." she said, apropos of nothing "I'm here at the Ebbott City West courthouse, where the trial of-"</p>
<p>"We're leaving." Black decided, grabbing your chair again.</p>
<p>"Wait wait, we just need two minutes!" the journalist assured.</p>
<p>"we never agreed to any interview." Rus pointed out brusquely, also turning his back on them.</p>
<p>"This is your chance to have your say!" she insisted, almost running in front of you "You've been letting them talk for you this whole time, don't <em>you</em> have anything to say about the trial?"</p>
<p>"The evidence said everything that needed to be said." you told her curtly "I have nothing more to add."</p>
<p>You saw a flash of aggravated panic cross the journalists face - she probably wouldn't be paid if she didn't get the interview, but if this was how she went about business then you didn't really feel sorry for her.</p>
<p>"Here, take my card." she insisted, fishing around in her jacket "There's still four days, we can set up an interview at your place at a batter time-"</p>
<p>"Read my lips." you said, firm to the border of being rude "No comment. No interview. Goodbye."</p>
<p>"Why are you so entitled?!" your mother suddenly scolded "It's just an interview, you'll get paid!"</p>
<p>Your last nerve snapped so hard you swore you could hear it, echoing like broken elastic.</p>
<p>"Entitled?" you hissed, turning to face her "<em>You</em> are calling <em>me</em> entitled?"</p>
<p>Your mother held herself high in her delusion, back straight as she looked down her nose at you. The journalist and the cameraman backed up a few paces to get the whole exchange on film.</p>
<p>"You are entitled." your mother argued "You've always gotten everything you wanted, even when it wasn't yours to take!"</p>
<p>"You mean the house?" you clarified.</p>
<p>"<em>My</em> house!" she insisted "The one my father promised to leave me when he died!"</p>
<p>"He died over twenty years ago!" you pointed out "Did you think Grandma was just going to move out and let you have it?!"</p>
<p>"She should have been in an old folks home, not taking care of you!"</p>
<p>"<em>And whose fucking fault was that?!"</em></p>
<p>"If you weren't such a burden on her, my mother would still be alive right now!"</p>
<p>"<em>You</em> were driving the car that <em>crippled me!"</em></p>
<p>You missed the horrified look that Black and Rus gave each other at this brand new information, the smaller brother warming up his blue magic in case he needed to hold the other back.</p>
<p>"Not only that, but you tried to kill me!" you went on "You blocked every exit to my house and set it on fire!"</p>
<p>"It was <em>my</em> house!"</p>
<p>"WELL IT'S FUCKING ASHES NOW!" you screamed "Just like everything else you touch! Your entire life is a dumpster fire, and everything you to just pours on more gasoline! It was <em>just a house! </em>What kind of mother... what kind of<em> person</em> are you that that meant more to you than your own child's life?!"</p>
<p>"Hey, don't talk to your mother that way!" her husband interjected.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" you replied.</p>
<p>"I'm... your father?" he answered.</p>
<p>"You seem unsure about that." you sassed back "Considering this is the first time we've ever fucking spoken, I can't say I blame you."</p>
<p>The man just opened and closed his mouth like a gasping fish, clearly not having expected your response.</p>
<p>"You people have been so determined to ruin your lives, so congratu-fucking-lations, I guess." you finished "But you aren't going to drag me down with you. Don't even bother looking me up when you get out of prison, I won't be any more interested in talking to you then than I am now."</p>
<p>You let than be your final word, spinning your chair around and wheeling away. You heard your mother yell something about the house, but it was cut off quickly, most likely when she noticed the murderous look in Rus' eyes. Not being a monster, you couldn't feel the grip of blue magic on your boyfriends soul, the way his brother almost had to drag him down the hall after you.</p>
<p>You did, however, notice his silence, and the way he handed Black the car keys without a word, climbing in the back with you. You knew that haunted expression on his face well by now, and the way he clenched his fists so tightly his bones squeaked. You didn't even need to ask him why he was upset.</p>
<p>He was feeling all the upset you weren't. You were angry, certainly, but not upset. You didn't give that woman enough of your energy to be upset by her any more.</p>
<p>You placed your hand over Rus' gently, staying quiet until he was stable enough to look at you.</p>
<p>"Hug?" you asked simply.</p>
<p>Three seconds later you were in his lap, his arms around you so tightly it almost hurt, until his bones eventually stopped rattling.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Rus was never the fastest person when he woke up in the morning. He was still surprised to wake up with someone else in his bed, but at least it was a pleasant surprise.</p>
<p>Well, it was your (plural) bed now. As soon as his higher brain kicked in, a delighted warmth spread through his bones at the thought that you had spent another night sleeping beside him. You fit perfectly in his arms, like they were built just for holding you, and if he thought you were soft and gentle before... that was nothing compared to how you were when you slept. If he woke up first, he could stay in bed for hours to watch you, completely still, fingers twitching, occasionally mumbling... at least until Gabby gave him that judgemental look, anyway.</p>
<p>He had never been part of a couple before. He'd dated, of course, but those relationships were never meant to last. This was. The biggest concession so far was keeping the bedroom tidier than he was used to, since you had lived together long enough by now that you were used to each others habits.</p>
<p>After the stressful day at the courthouse, everyone had taken the rest of the week off, including Black! A little break to clear off the last dregs of madness and get back into a normal routine was exactly what you all needed, and sleeping in with you on a week day was just a perk of that.</p>
<p>Your breathing changed as you finally woke up, stirring in his arms a little. The bleary, confused look on your face was so adorable it made him count his lucky stars every morning, until your conscious mind kicked in as well and you gave him a tired smile.</p>
<p>"You're being creepy again." you teased.</p>
<p>"i told you to get used to it." he joked back.</p>
<p>You just hummed, shuffling closer to him and wrapping your arms around his chest, letting him hug you closer in turn and bury his face in your messy hair.</p>
<p>"i've been thinking." he started.</p>
<p>"Yeah?"</p>
<p>"we don't really have many guests." he went on "so having a guest room seems kinda pointless."</p>
<p>"What do you want to do with it then?"</p>
<p>"i think we should have a dog room."</p>
<p>You were silent a moment as your just-woken brain caught up, finally snorting out a laugh.</p>
<p>"A dog room?" you repeated with a chuckle.</p>
<p>"yeah." he confirmed with a grin "a place for their beds, all their toys... i can build them a jungle gym, and they can have their own tv..."</p>
<p>You were trying so hard not to laugh, but your shaking gave you away, the occasional snort escaping you.</p>
<p>"Okay, maybe." you conceded when you got control of myself "The real question is, are we mentally prepared to be the kind of people that have a dog room?"</p>
<p>"i know i am."</p>
<p>"Okay okay, but you have to tell your brother."</p>
<p>"damn, there's always a catch."</p>
<p>You shuffled a little, wiping the loose hair from your face and looking him in the eye. Your face softened as you gently ran your thumb over the dark shadows under his eyes.</p>
<p>"Were you thinking other things?" you asked him "Sad things?"</p>
<p>Damn, you were starting to read him like a book. It made him feel exposed, but at the same time... supported. It was okay not to be strong all the time - you didn't need that from him.</p>
<p>"Do you need me to say it?" you asked when he didn't reply.</p>
<p>He just nodded, not quite able to ask.</p>
<p>"I'm not settling." you told him easily "I'm with you because I love you. I'll tell you that until you believe me."</p>
<p>"i do believe you." he promised as the warmth of your words spread through his bones "some days the bad thoughts are just louder than others."</p>
<p>"Well, tell them to shut up, or I'll come in that head of yours and beat them up."</p>
<p>It was Rus' turn to snort out a laugh. The idea that soft little you could beat anyone up...</p>
<p>A rumble that wasn't quite a growl caught his attention. Gabby had stood herself on the other side on the bed, giving him that judgemental look.</p>
<p>"i think it's breakfast time." he supposed.</p>
<p>Sudden enthusiastic barking confirmed his suspicions as Gidget appeared and disappeared beside her big sister. She wasn't big enough to jump on the bed yet, but damn if she didn't try.</p>
<p>"Your turn to feed the babies." you teased, pushing him away a little "Might as well get up."</p>
<p>"might as well." Rus sighed, reluctantly untangling himself from you and stretching until his joints popped while you reached for your chair "c'mon girls, let's get breakfast."</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was a quiet day, perfect for watching movies and cuddling on the sofa. Never able to sit still for long, Black put on his lycra and went for a run. Your peace was interrupted when the phone rang - it was those tabloid journalists, still trying to convince you to have an interview on cameras with your parents.</p>
<p>Just the thought of them left Rus cold. Even after everything - being arrested, put on trial, sentenced to ten years - they still had the delusion to believe they were in the right. They wanted money from selling their story to the tabloids, and expected you to play along.</p>
<p>Rus excused himself to go into the back garden for a cigarette while you gave the caller what for. It was so weird seeing you angry. He couldn't even say it was cute - the way you normally were was cute, all soft and calm, and he didn't like seeing you upset.</p>
<p>Two more days. Two more days, and they'd be in prison, and he would never have to think about them again. He only had to control himself for two more days.</p>
<p>He paid Gabby no mind as she stumbled past him into the house, claws clacking on the hard floor. She was probably tired out from playing with Gidget, who had the energy one would expect from a puppy. He lit up his cigarette and looked out over the neat yard, watching Gidget sniff around a bush. The weather was starting to turn, soon they wouldn't be able to leave the back door open so the girls could go in and out at will. Rus could put a dog door in, but it would have to be pretty big for a golden retriever, and wasn't that a security risk?</p>
<p>"you smell something good, sweetie?" he called to Gidget, who was giving that bush her full attention.</p>
<p>Noticing exactly where she was facing, his instincts kicked in.</p>
<p>"what are you eating?" he asked sternly, and sure enough she dropped something in her haste to not be caught eating something she shouldn't.</p>
<p>Rus left the deck and walked over, hoisting her tiny body away to see what she had been chewing. A yellowish-white cube of something, kind of rubbery looking. There were a few of the scattered about, like they had been thrown over the back fence, but it wasn't until he picked one up that the smell hit him.</p>
<p>Cheese.</p>
<p>Why would someone throw cheese over the fence?</p>
<p>Turning the cube over in his hand, the hard black circle he found gave him pause.</p>
<p>A wave of cold sweat rushed over him when he realised what it was - the head of a nail. All the cubes of cheese scattered on the ground had nails through them. Before the full ramifications of this settled in, a blood curdling scream tore through the air.</p>
<p>
  <em>"RUS!"</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was too late.</p>
<p>As intelligent as she was - as wonderful, and good, and kind, and loving... - Gabby was still just a dog. Of course she was going to eat the cheese. Unlike Gidget, whose tiny jaws could barely get around the chunks, Gabby hoovered them up whole, nails and all, holding together just long enough to reach her stomach.</p>
<p>The nails were sharp, and the damage was done. The vet could operate, but her chances of survival were slim, and by now the nails were moving into the dogs intestines, causing further untold damage. She was clearly in a lot of pain, intermittedly throwing up blood with a body convulsing retch. The kindest thing to do, the vet told you sombrely, was to put her out of her suffering. </p>
<p>Rus was numb. Nothing was going through his head. Nothing could. His emotions were all battling each other to be felt, leaving him empty. </p>
<p>You were sobbing uncontrollably, as would anyone losing their best friend. You could barely breathe, let alone talk.</p>
<p>Black, still in his lycra running outfit, took charge. Controlling things helped him process, gave him focus.</p>
<p>You had ten minutes to say goodbye.</p>
<p>Gabby's fur was as soft and warm as ever as she laid on the table, whimpering slightly when the vet stuck the needle in. You shushed her, stroking her calmly as her breathing started to slow. She used what strength she had left to give you one final lick before closing her eyes for the last time.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The raging storm that battered the valley shook the windows of the farmhouse so violently that they threatened to pop right out of their frames. The large rain was falling so hard that it hurt, even through his clothes.</p>
<p>Rus didn't care that he was soaked. He had stood here maybe ten minutes already, pulling himself in every possible direction, fighting with himself every step.</p>
<p>He needed strength. He needed focus. Guidance.</p>
<p>The front door of the farmhouse opened, even without him knocking, bathing him in the warm glow of the hallway lights.</p>
<p>"Rus?" a confused voice called.</p>
<p>He couldn't bring himself to look up. Every step was agony as he forced himself to the door. He had made a bet with himself, based on who would answer. Let fate decide. Take it out of his hands.</p>
<p>It took everything he had now to look into the eyes of the person fate gave him, urging his plea through his clenched jaw as his magic threatened to tear his bones apart.</p>
<p>"<em>help me</em>." </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I made myself cry writing this, not even joking. I've had dogs before, and I have cats now, and this is pretty much every pet owners nightmare scenario. Literally had to take a break before finishing the chapter.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Keep it Old School</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>TW - Violence and death.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When your grandmother died, you were able to face her passing with a sad acceptance - she was old, and had been getting noticeably weaker over the months leading up to it. She knew it too, and you made her arrangements together in preparation for the inevitable. It was of course sad, and you did grieve, but it was okay.</p><p>This was something else. The pain was like a punch to the stomach, and just when you thought it was fading it came back with a vengeance. That Gabby had died so suddenly, and in such pain, was difficult enough for you to deal with, but the knowledge that it had been done deliberately, that someone actually took the time to put nails in blocks of cheese and throw them over your garden fence to kill her...</p><p>You couldn't deal with that. You couldn't imagine how anyone could justify such cruelty.</p><p>Every dog owner thought their dog was the best, but they were all wrong. Gabby was, unobjectively, the best. She was so smart, so loving, had such a great character. You were still expecting her to come and comfort you, like she always did when someone was upset, and it only made her absence all the more noticeable. You couldn't even think about her without a fresh punch to gut...</p><p>Gidget was trying her best, but the best the puppy could manage was to whimper and rub up against you, which was a lot when you still fit in a coffee mug.</p><p>The front door opened clumsily. Your throat was still raw from crying, so you didn't call to see who it was.</p><p>"Hello?" a female voice called into the house.</p><p>"Undyne?"</p><p>Sure enough, the tall blue monster appeared at your bedroom door. You had been lying in bed, but shuffled up to sit as she entered. Undyne didn't hesitate to wrap you up in a hug, just tight enough not to squish the baby strapped to her chest.</p><p>"I am so sorry about Gabby." she said earnestly "I can't imagine how you must be feeling."</p><p>"It feels like I lost my sister." you told her "Maybe even my child, I... I know that sounds extreme."</p><p>"No, it doesn't." she assured, laying and supportive hand on your shoulder "She was family. It's going to hurt exactly the same."</p><p>A fresh tear rolled down your cheek, just when you thought you had run out of them, as your throat painfully swelled once again. Undyne patted your messy hair down sympathetically before unstrapping the baby harness.</p><p>"You look like shit." she told you softly "Hold him, I'll get you some water."</p><p>She put the baby in your hands and left the room. He was less than week old, but already a little chubster - he was a light green colour and had fins on his head like his mother did, but they were furled like an axolotl. He also had little black eyes and a wide mouth that was always smiling, but who knew how long that would last - monsters could change a lot between birth and adulthood. The baby just looked around as he laid on your lap, not even gurgling.</p><p>Undyne returned with a glass of water, trading it for her son.</p><p>"Rus asked me to come over and stay with you." she revealed "Where have they gone?"</p><p>"Rus has cameras all over the garden." you told her, feeling more stable now you had drunk some water "They got a nice view of who did it. Black... you know Black, he has to do stuff about stuff. I think he's handling the legal shit. Rus had to go see his therapist... he's not taking it well."</p><p>"I've not seen him this bad in a long time." Undyne agreed "I think that... he's been trying so hard to do everything right, to be the bigger man and follow the law... and it still turned out this way... yeah, I wouldn't take it well either. How are you holding up?"</p><p>It took you a moment to find the words.</p><p>"Aside from... the obvious? I'm so... angry, and confused, and... I don't understand this level of... active, vindictive cruelty."</p><p>Undyne just nodded, using her free hand to rub up and down your back soothingly.</p><p>"I always assumed cruelty and abuse was something passive." you admitted "I mean, nobody chooses to be an abuser, right? Nobody wakes up in the morning and schedules beating their kids in between meetings... I thought they were just wired wrong, that their actions were at least logical or moral in their own mind, that they could learn to be better... I think I was wrong. But the idea of having every other options available to you, and still choosing, calmly and on purpose, to cause suffering, even death... I... I just can't accept that..."</p><p>"Of course not." Undyne soothed "You're a good person. You have a good heart... you're a kindness soul, you know?"</p><p>"It's just so senseless!"</p><p>You paused to choke down a sob, a fresh punch of grief hitting you. Undyne stayed patient, sat on the bed beside you.</p><p>"You know what's funny?" you said "I always thought the Fell clans were proof of my worldview. They all... changed. Softened. The second they didn't have to live that violent life, they chose not to. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen... I've met Fells that have anger issues and control issues.... but I've never met one who was deliberately cruel."</p><p>"You've been lucky." Undyne admitted "Some did choose not to change, but up here... well, there were a lot more people who did. Prisons are full of unrepentant Fells."</p><p>"Guess I was just naïve." you muttered bitterly. </p><p>"It's not naïve to want to see good in people." she soothed "Just look at Rus and Black... you've really bought out the best in them."</p><p>"They haven't really changed in the time I've known them." you argued.</p><p>"As someone who's known them far longer, I can assure you they have. They aren't trying to be the people they want to be any more - they<em> are</em> them." </p><p>She gave you a reassuring smile. You couldn't really see it, but she had known those guys much longer than you had, so you would have to take her word for it. Her face turned awkward a moment before she spoke next.</p><p>"May I ask... who it was?"</p><p>"Who do you think?" you said bitterly "Two fucking days left before they go to prison and they pull this shit. One final 'fuck you' before getting locked up for ten years."</p><p>"I just can't understand how that woman thinks." Undyne admitted, cradling the baby "Addy's less than a week old, and I can't even <em>think</em> about... I mean, you're her child!"</p><p>"Don't even try to." you recommended "That level of selfishness isn't meant to be understood. Everyone in my family is pretty selfish, but her? I mean, is 'selfish' a soul trait?"</p><p>"No," Undyne said thoughtfully "But if the first trait is avarice and the second determination... or maybe lust... add into that a family environment that already encourages selfishness, and that would create a terribly selfish person. Why did she even have a child?"</p><p>"Probably like the attention being pregnant got her." you theorised.</p><p>"I am shocked Rus kept his temper with her so long."</p><p>"Rus has a temper?"</p><p>Undyne gave you that smile again, a gentle glee in her eyes.</p><p>"That you don't know that is proof of how much those two have changed." she said "So what are your options now? Legally speaking?"</p><p>"Well, luckily we have the cameras, and the footage is clear enough to prove it was them." you explained with a sigh "But crimes against animals are low priority for the court, especially when the perpetrators are already behind bars... if they try to skip town then the charges will be escalated, but if they actually do the smart thing and go to prison then it could be a while before they see any consequences for this. Even then, a fine, a ban from owning pets... that's the best we can hope for."</p><p>"Even though they killed her?" Undyne asked, appropriately disgusted "It's not considered murder?!"</p><p>"She's not a human or a monster, so no." you confirmed "Doesn't make it hurt any less..."</p><p>"How did they even find out where you live? I can't imagine you sent them change of address cards when you moved in."</p><p>"I think it was that tabloid." you told her "They somehow got my phone number, it's not impossible they could get my address too... they were desperate to get an interview, they might have given them address so we could 'talk things out'."</p><p>Undyne opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the ringing of your phone. It was an unknown number, and while you didn't typically answer them... well, it might be the vet, or the crematorium, and even Rus' therapist... Reluctantly, you answered it.</p><p>"Hello?"</p><p>"<em>B-baby</em>..." your mothers voice on the other end of the line pleaded "<em>P-please</em>..."</p><p>You saw red.</p><p>"What the fuck do you want?!" you snapped so viciously it even made Addy jump "What the sweet holy hell do you think you have to say to me now?!" </p><p>"<em>I-I w-w-</em>"</p><p>"No, I am not fucking interested in hearing it!" you yelled "You took my legs, you burned down my house, and now you <em>killed my dog!</em> BURN IN HELL!!!"</p><p>Undyne only just stopped you throwing the phone across the room as you hung up, placing it on the table before you broke down again, letting her hold you as you cried.</p><hr/><p>The sound of the phone being hung up was the final punctuation point on their sentence. The woman stared at it, aghast, before struggling like a wild animal against her bonds.</p><p>"No! NO!" she shrieked "CALL THEM BACK! CALL THEM BACK!"</p><p>The tree was unimpressed by her efforts, and the chains merely jingled in mockery. She wasn't going anywhere.</p><p>The skeleton turned, tossing the phone into the bonfire. The heat coming from the massive pyre was scorching, it's orange glow casting everyone around it into shadows.</p><p>Off to one side was another tall skeleton, decked out in leather and studs, red eye lights twinkling in the dark - he held a shovel, occasionally poking the fire to keep it burning. The singular human of the group sat against the upturned roots of a large tree, just watching with an almost feral expression behind their calm façade. If one was to squint against the bright firelight, they could see the spiny crown and battle axe of a well known lizard monster, the white fur of many furious dog monsters, the long ears of a very large rabbit, and the distinctive haircuts of a certain cat and alligator duo. There were others, of course, further back in the woods, just watching. Who they were, and why they felt the need to witness, it wasn't up to the humans tied to the trees to know.</p><p>There were some things that were unforgivable, even to those whose morals were more liquid than solid. Hurting children was the most widely known, along with turning your hand against your own mother. Dogs were only a step below children to many people, and when those people were dog monsters the distinction disappeared completely. Repeatedly and purposely fucking up, for no good reason, when you had every opportunity not to? That was one of them too.</p><p>Fells across the country had been watching the events unfold. They knew Sans and Papyrus of the Swapfell clan, how powerful and vicious they were, back when everyone was stuck undergound. The Vice-Captain of Queen Toriel's Royal Guard, righteous and unforgiving, and his guard dog, an unstoppable titan. Even monsters like them were able to find someone soft to love them, and didn't that give all Fells hope?</p><p>Then somebody messed with them, and their soft human, by breaking into their house. Strike one. 'Let the law handle it', they said, and the law did. They messed with them again, going so far as to burn their house to the ground. Strike two. 'Let the law handle it', they said, and the law did. That should have been enough for anyone with a brain - you clearly aren't good at this, you're outclassed, outmatched, now take your lumps and let it be. But no, they didn't learn. They were already caught, already sentenced, all they had to do to was leave it alone with broken pride and everything could go on, the law had done it's job.</p><p>But they had to go for strike three. The law didn't matter when you were this stupid, you were never going to learn. Some people didn't. </p><p>The shorter skeleton with the purple eyes looked almost bored as he held the box of nails, half of which had been forced down the husbands throat before the larger skeleton beat him repeatedly in the stomach with the bat. The wife's legs had been broken, and broken, and broken, the bones of splinters too small to ever heal, even if they were given the chance to. The smaller one put the nails away, picking up the cans of gasoline that sat just far enough away from the fire to be safe.</p><p>"CALL THEM BACK!" the wife continued to scream "WE DIDN'T EVEN TALK, THAT WASN'T THE DEAL!"</p><p>The tall skeleton walked calmly over to the pyre. The one in leather handed him a flaming torch.</p><p>"the jury has found you guilty." he said calmly "the judge passed down the sentence. The executioner will carry it out."</p><p>There was no expression on his face, no joy or malice. The shorter skeleton, without a word, emptied the contents of the cans over the bound pair, screams of terror and pain deafening everyone present. The taller skeleton approached with the torch, expressionless eyes fixed on his quarry.</p><p>"burn in hell." he said simply, before lowering the torch to meet the gasoline.</p><hr/><p>It was starting to get light, and you were more than a little worried. A hundred horrible thoughts ran through your mind - Black was almost certainly at work, because that was show he dealt with his feelings, but Rus? Was he out somewhere getting drunk, or something worse? You still didn't know how he dealt with grief...</p><p>There were no words for the relief you felt when the front door finally opened. You immediately put down your book and went to meet whoever was home, and thank goodness, it was the exact man you were worried about. His bones looked almost grey, the dark stains under his eyes the worst you had ever seen, and his shoulders slumped like the weight of the world was on them. He smelled strongly of gasoline and smoke - had he spent all night smoking cigarettes in a petrol station? Weird, but better than getting drunk.</p><p>"Hey." you greeted softly "I missed you."</p><p>Rus didn't respond. He didn't look at you.</p><p>"Babe?"</p><p>Still nothing. You approached carefully, taking the one hand wasn't shoved in his pocket, and taking it in both of yours. Finally, he looked at you, not a single emotion on his skull.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>The spell broke. His face crumpled like a paper bag, and before his knees even hit the floor, he let out a loud, anguished wail that spoke of more grief and regret than words knew how to express. Bright orange tears burst from his eyes like they'd just been waiting for permission as his hands sought you out. You did the only thing you possibly could, and wrapped your arms around him as tightly as your flesh would allow. As the front of your shirt started to soak through, you suspected what happened with Gabby had opened up a different wound entirely, and the pain was bleeding into each other until even he wasn't sure which was which.</p><p>But that was a problem for later. For now, you just held him, letting him cry, for as long as need be.</p><hr/><p>Blacks conscious was clear.</p><p>He had done things by the book, let the law handle it, and to be fair, it had. It took a long time and caused his family a lot of stress, but it had worked. Four days to get your affairs in order before going to prison for ten years wasn't even unusual for non-violent offenders who weren't considered a flight risk, there was no reason to believe those idiots would escalate things further.</p><p>But they did.</p><p>"You let their own child decide how they died?" Dr Ricci clarified, trying very hard to keep the horror from her face.</p><p>"Parents hold a sacred place in their child's heart." Black theorised "If even they couldn't forgive them for everything they did, then neither should we."</p><p>"Would you have let them go? If the child forgave them?"</p><p>"... Reluctantly." he confessed "I wouldn't have liked it, but I'm a man of my word."</p><p>"Did the child ever find out?"</p><p>"Not as yet. I highly doubt they ever will."</p><p>Dr Ricci took a deep breath, trying to shake out her distress.</p><p>"Sorry for being unprofessional," she said "But just when I think I've heard the worst stories from the underground..." </p><p>"I understand entirely." Black assured, handing her the glass of water she left on the table "Take a moment, if you need it."</p><p>The doctor did, using said moment to sort her thoughts.</p><p>"Do you feel any kind of guilt about what happened?" she asked.</p><p>"Not even a little." Black admitted, sitting back against the office's sofa "Don't misunderstand me, I know it was objectively wrong. Morally, legally, it was the wrong thing to do, but... I think sometimes the wrong thing to do is the only thing that works. People like them wouldn't have stopped on their own, they wouldn't have learned, and from what I saw when we spoke, they didn't even acknowledge that the things they had been doing were wrong... They felt their torment of their child was completely justified... so, I felt that our stopping it was also justified."</p><p>"Two wrongs don't make a right, Black."</p><p>"They tried to kill their own child, Dr Ricci."</p><p>The doctor tapped her pen erratically against her notepad, which she only did when she was forced to contemplate something unpleasant.</p><p>"Morality is complicated." she copped out "I suppose it's easy to judge from a distance. How did your brother handle it?"</p><p>"He had trouble sleeping at first, but was okay after a while." Black lied "I think he slept better knowing the whole thing was over."</p><p>He had faith in that. Rus wasn't sleeping right now - Black had spent the entirety of last night sitting with him while he disassociated so hard his soul nearly left his body - but once he was past this, things would improve. He'd sleep better in the long term, knowing those two bastards were dead, and their human and pets were safe.</p><p>When the appointment was over, Black returned to work. The report about the two of them not turning up for prison was already on his desk, so he filled out the necessary paperwork like nothing was wrong, and handed it Alphys, who pretended to know nothing. They didn't want to waste the time and manpower it would take to 'find' them, and had arranged for it to happen within a few days. They already had several stories to spin, just waiting to see which they would need based on public opinion.</p><p>Those woods were full of lunatics, after all, and dog monsters across the country were furious about the turn of events. Who's to say a few didn't find the offenders trying to escape justice and decided to exact some of their own? They had other stories prepared, but that was the favourite.</p><p>Black checked his watch as he left Alphys' office - he had promised to leave early and pick up pizza on the way home. You were still fragile, and as much as he wanted to throw himself into his work for a few weeks, he wanted more to be there for you while you were grieving. He pondered for a moment, prioritising his tasks as he returned to his office.</p><hr/><p>It was a cold day. Not quite frosty, but it wouldn't be long until it was.</p><p>It had been a few days since... the woods. It felt like it hadn't happened, like he had just gotten really drunk and had a particularly vivid dream.</p><p>It had, though. He knew that.</p><p>Rus followed the sound of gunfire across the farmyard, finding Sugars human at their shooting range. They spared him a look before finishing their clip, landing two headshots into a target that showed off their almost perfect aim.</p><p>"Hey." they greeted as they lowered the protectors from their ears.</p><p>"hey." he said back.</p><p>"You look like shit." they told him honestly "Let me guess - you feel even worse than before and regret doing it."</p><p>Rus wasn't surprised - knowing exactly what was going on in his head was something his particular human was very good at.</p><p>"why did you let me?" he asked "if you knew it was going to end this way?"</p><p>"I've always been more of a 'learn by doing' kind of person." they told him, taking a moment to reload "Shug's can tell you until he's blue in the face what the right thing to do is, but would it stick with you like this did? The emptiness, the disappointment... I think that will stay with you longer... you mad at me?"</p><p>"i can't be." he admitted with a shrug "i let fate decide. if sugar had opened the door, things would have been different. axe too... but it was you..."</p><p>The human hummed, looking down the sights of their rifle a moment, before placing it down and going to reset the targets.</p><p>"why did you think it was the right think to do?" Rus asked.</p><p>"It wasn't." they answered simply "You hear about the protests?"</p><p>"protests?"</p><p>"The dog monsters."</p><p>"can't say I have... haven't left the house in a few days."</p><p>"Well, that tabloid hack broke the broke the story about your dog." the human explained "They weren't exactly... as diplomatic as they could have been. Dog monsters across the country got pissed, marched on Ebbott. They got all the way to the palace, I think - I know Asgore met with them."</p><p>"i'd be pissed if i was them." Rus agreed "my partner said it's not even considered murder."</p><p>His friends face softened as they took a moment to think.</p><p>"How are they coping?" they asked.</p><p>"... coping." was as much as Rus could say "we're having a funeral this afternoon... i think that'll help."</p><p>"So what are you doing here with me?" they asked, only half joking.</p><p>Rus took a second to think of a reason, but none came to mind.</p><p>"i don't know." he admitted, shrinking further into his coat "i guess i just... feel kind of lost. what the hell do i even do now? how do i live with what we did? it's not like we're underground anymore, i had a choice..."</p><p>Before the void of his trauma could grow too large in his mind, the human grabbed a fist full of his shirt and pulled him down, kissing him on the forehead in that tender manner of theirs, before backing off and looking him in the eye.</p><p>"You forgive yourself." they ordered "Setbacks happen, this was just one of them. You learn from it, you pick yourself up, and you get back on the road to recovery. When those bodies are 'found' next week, that will be the end of it."</p><p>"am i just supposed to forget what i did?" he asked, joints in his throat started to hurt.</p><p>"Never. Remembering yourself at your worst will let you appreciate yourself at your best."</p><p>They finally let him go, returning to their gun. Rus wished he had their conviction, but he had never felt weaker.</p><p>He thought he might feel satisfied, if nothing else, taking care of the problem with his own hands. He didn't. He just felt... empty, disappointed in himself... just like his friend said. A part of him wanted to ask if they had done something similar in the past, but the words wouldn't come out. He wouldn't put it past them.</p><p>A part of him wished Sugar had been the one to answer the door, to talk him down, to keep him on the straight and narrow.</p><p>But at the same time, now he knew. He didn't have to wonder how it would feel to give in to the bad thoughts, how it would actually effect him to slip.</p><p>But still...</p><p>"how do i tell my partner?" he pondered, more to himself than his friend.</p><p>"You don't." they answered simply.</p><p>"i don't want to keep secrets from them."</p><p>"Really? You going to tell them about every time you threw up on yourself when you were drunk?"</p><p>"that's false equivalence and you know it."</p><p>The human thought for a moment, fiddling with a switch on their weapon.</p><p>"I guess I'm lucky - my boys were there with me when it all went down with Red, I didn't need to keep it secret from them." they started "But let me tell you from my perspective, since I know they already said their pieces."</p><p>They didn't look at Rus, keeping their eyes fixed on the target. From the way their hands flexed on the rifle, he could only imagine whose face they were picturing.</p><p>"The first time, I didn't want revenge." they confessed "I wanted to move on and put it behind me. Ten years later, that bastard comes back not just for me, but for my daughter too? I would have killed him if I could, and I regret not dusting him when I had the chance."</p><p>Rus didn't know what to say to that. After everything that went down, he could believe it, but was it really equivalent? There was nothing special about your parents run-of-the-mill cruelty, except for the fact it was aimed at you. Ten years from now, would Rus's only regret be not acting sooner?</p><p>The babbling of a baby broke him out of his thoughts once again. He saw Axe first, the newborn balanced on one arm while the toddler trotted clumsily around, holding onto his other hand for dear life.</p><p>"Ah ma ma!" she squealed, pointing to the human.</p><p>"hey, she wanted to see you." Axe explained "you all done shooting things?"</p><p>"One sec."</p><p>The human took up the solid black rifle case that leant against the barn, making sure there wasn't a single shell casing or spec of cordite left out before sealing it off with a padlock that was far larger than strictly necessary. Only then did they embrace their oldest child, the baby bones giving off a happy squeal as they were picked up. The human looked like a completely different person with the child in their arms instead of the rifle. Even Axe, a literal human-eating monster, seemed softer, rounder, maybe even cuddly, as he let the new born in his arms play with his fingers.</p><p>"Rus?" the human called.</p><p>He looked back at them. They gave him one last smile, patient and tired.</p><p>"I'm not going to pretend it's easy." they said "But don't carry this forever. You did what you had to do. Forgive yourself, and let yourself move on."</p><p>Rus wanted to be convinced. Strangely, he did feel comforted.</p><p>"what are we talking about?" Axe asked, a question that came out of his mouth often.</p><p>"Don't worry about it, babe." the human reassured "Let's go have some lunch."</p><hr/><p>The urn that held Gabby's ashes was pewter, with two brass paw prints on the lid. You just couldn't bring yourself to bury her, and had already cleared a space on your shelf for when you got home. </p><p>The dog park seemed like the best place to hold this little ceremony, before the weather got too grim to be outside for long. You hadn't expected the boys to wear black, but you weren't unhappy that they had, the three of you sat around the bench near Gabby's favourite tree. Gidget was still on her lead, wandering around sniffing everyone's shoes, but she seemed to pick up the air of sobriety that surrounded the group, casting her eyes to the urn in your lap every now and then.</p><p>"She always knew when I needed to stop working." you recalled fondly "I swear she knew how to tell the time. So much as a minute past 6pm and she'd be pulling my chair away from the desk."</p><p>"she used to wake me up in the morning too." Rus chuckled "if i wasn't up by ten, she'd pull the covers off and lick my feet."</p><p>"She tried to join me on my morning run a few times." Black confessed "I regret that I didn't let her... I don't even really like dogs, but even I could tell Gabby was something special."</p><p>You were in the park almost an hour, just trading stories. The sun was starting to set, the temperature quickly dropping, when you decided to leave. You felt calmer for it, like the shock and pain had finally settled, and the cool metal of the urn gave the whole event a solid finality.</p><p>Black picked Gidget up, tucking her under his arm as he led the way through the park back home. You could hear Rus scuffing his feet behind you, in no great hurry. You slowed to a stop when he laid his hand on your shoulder, turning to face him. He clearly had something he wanted to say, opening and closing his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. He knelt down in front of you so you were eye to eye, taking your hands in his, but still couldn't get the words out. You stroked his cold bones with your thumb, just waiting.</p><p>He finally looked you in the eye, giving you an almost heartbreakingly sad smile.</p><p>"i don't even know what i want to say." he chuckled.</p><p>Something in the crinkle of his eyes told you he was lying, but whatever it was couldn't be too important today of all days. You took his head in your hands and kissed him on the teeth, feeling the way his whole body seemed to melt. After a moment of just being, Rus stood up again, the two of you going on to join the waiting Black.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One chapter left...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Do Whatever You Want</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Cole was a good boy. Not a particularly smart boy, especially for a service dog, but a good boy. On no less than three occasions he had caught his own tail and proceeded to stand with it in his mouth for ten minutes because he had never thought about what happened next. And yes, Rus did have video footage of every time he did it. He tried very hard, though, and was always happy to be of service when you needed him. He was a border collie with mismatched eyes and a million watt smile that everyone fell in love with the second they met him.</p>
<p>He wasn't Gabby, but no dog ever would be.</p>
<p>Cole lived with his older sister Gidget, who managed to boss him around despite not even coming to his knees, his younger sisters Ruby and Poppy, a cocker spaniel and pit bull respectively, and his weird stripy non-dog cousin The Illustrious Doom Slayer, who liked to sit on shelves and yell at him. Ruby and Poppy were the best of friends, and wherever one was, the other wouldn't be far away: Ruby was the smart one, and she knew exactly how pretty she was with her bright red fur, while Poppy was the biggest, kindest, cuddliest dumbass anyone could hope to meet. The Illustrious Doom Slayer hated every single one of them with the passion of a thousand suns, despite the fact Cole was hopelessly in love with him, and was constantly swatting at curious dog noses with his strange sharp feet.</p>
<p>There were more animals here, but Cole didn't know them very well yet - weird long dogs with metal feet, slant-eyed dogs that loved to scream and jump, dogs with thick curly fur and even a couple of cows!</p>
<p>"It's amazing how you can just see he has no idea what he's looking at." you pondered as you watched your service dog looking at the horses through the paddock fence.</p>
<p>"they're all dogs to him." Rus agreed, hanging up the wind chime on the porch "their old owner said they were okay with dogs, but we should still be careful introducing them - don't want our idiot son getting stepped on."</p>
<p>"If we're up to wind chimes, I take it everything else is unpacked?"</p>
<p>"i haven't checked my brothers room, but everything else is."</p>
<p>Once he was satisfied it wasn't going to fall down in a strong wind, Rus stretched his shoulders with a pop and collapsed down on the bench next to you, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and snuggling up close. You leaned against him as you looked out over the lake 500 yards from your front door, just enjoying the quiet this far from town as the sun started to set.</p>
<p>Rus had never imagined moving you this far from flat paved roads and regular public transport, but everything was more manageable when you were part of a group. As your husband, had put a lot of effort in to find the right location for the ranch, scouring the area for a place that was right combination of wheelchair friendly and animal friendly, and it had finally paid off when he found the single most gorgeous place in existence - it looked like something out of a post card, with a good stretch of flat land between a mountain and a lake, and a long driveway that let out onto the main road between the valleys and the town you grew up in. It wasn't a huge amount of land - certainly not big enough for a working ranch - but for the family's needs, it was perfect.</p>
<p>Rus's shrink had made the fatal error of introducing him to animal therapy, sealing the fate of the family forever - of course he took to it like a fish to water, loving every second of taking care of horses, sheep, pigs, you name it. The only issue was that there wasn't anywhere around your old house that had the space to specialise in this particular type of therapy, and even fewer farms that were willing to let ex-soldiers just turn up and pet the livestock. With very little encouragement, Rus had taken it upon himself to do something about it.</p>
<p>It was perfect for him. With more passion than anyone had ever seen from him, Rus had hunted down a stable of animals with calm, patient temperaments who wouldn't mind strange monsters petting them, and had an entire library of husbandry books that he and any visitors the ranch had could refer to. It was going to be a little weird, having random royal guardsmen wandering around taking care of his animals, but at least you could retire to your room or office if it got too much for you.</p>
<p>The new house used to be a small hotel, which you never would have dreamed of buying if not for the royal guard giving them a very generous bursary: it was their soldiers and veterans this place would benefit, it was only right they should contribute financially to its set up, and for every patient they took in they got another payment. There were twelve nice rooms upstairs, and half of them were already booked. Dr Ricci had organised to come by every Friday to have sessions in the kitchen so that her patients wouldn't have to go all the way into town, and the furniture for the guest rooms would be arriving tomorrow. </p>
<p>Everything was coming together. Even though he'd been planning this for a long time, sitting here now, looking out over the lake with your soft human body wrapped up in his arms, it finally felt real.</p>
<p>"You okay?" you asked when Rus let out a deep sigh.</p>
<p>"just tired." he swore "i'm thinking of paving a path down to the lake, maybe building a pier so people can go fishing. what do you think?"</p>
<p>"Maybe wait until the water quality survey comes back." you suggested "Don't want to encourage people to go swimming if it isn't safe."</p>
<p>"hmm, you're right." he agreed, kissing your head "just the path then, for now."</p>
<p>"Oh, while I remember, the shelter called." you told him "They've got a few older dogs they're having trouble placing, they want to know if we're interested now we have all this space."</p>
<p>"let's see how we do with the animals we have first." Rus thought maturely "not that i would ever object to having more dogs."</p>
<p>"Your brother might just murder us both, though." you chuckled.</p>
<p>Speak of the devil - Rus looked over as Blacks car inched carefully down the driveway, wary of the various dogs roaming around. One such dog had planted herself in the middle of the path, just watching him approach with her tongue hanging out. Black stopped in front of her, but still Poppy didn't move, even when he let loose on the horn, making you and Rus laugh. Ruby literally had to come get her, and would have dragged her off by the scruff if Poppy hadn't been bigger. Black was still shaking his head when he finally pulled up to the house and got out the car.</p>
<p>"Shit like this is why I prefer cats!" he yelled "The Illustrious Doom Slayer wouldn't sit in the middle of the road like an idiot!"</p>
<p>"lily hasn't even left your room for three days, bro." Rus pointed out.</p>
<p>"Stop calling him Lily!" Black pouted "He's a boy!"</p>
<p>"He's stone deaf." you said "You could call him 'Dumbass McGee' and he'd have no idea."</p>
<p>Black opened his mouth to reply, only to be silenced by a sudden 'thud' against his car - Poppy had run straight into it while chasing Ruby, but being the tank she was, merely shook the collision off and took off after her again. Black just watched them with a deadpan glare.</p>
<p>"You don't get to call my cat dumb when you have that one."</p>
<p>With a chuckle, Rus got up and went to help Black unload the car, while you moved yourself from the bench to the wheelchair that sat beside it.</p>
<p>"I'll get the grill lit." you offered "You want a drink, Black?"</p>
<p>"I wouldn't say no to a beer."</p>
<p>"damn, bro, you but enough meat?" Rus teased as he beheld what must be a cow and a half's worth of the stuff in his car.</p>
<p>"Exactly how many people do you think are coming?" he fired back.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>It was a lot of people. Alphys and Undyne with their son, Catty and Bratty, the ghost cousins, the dog patrol from the valleys with the pups, Axe and Sugar with their human and (now) three children, Edge, Grillby, and other various monsters and humans of their acquaintance. It was a low key house warming barbecue, and something of a trial by fire for the animals - if they could handle (properly supervised) children for the night, they could handle the patients. Even with so many large monsters present, Rus was quietly impressed that there were no leftovers once dinner was finished.</p>
<p>It was hard to describe the sense of peace the skeleton felt as he watched the young monsters interact with the animals. Little Addy jumping up and down and butting heads carefully with a baby goat, the dog patrols puppies marvelling at being so high up as they all sat on a patient horse, and three little skeletons cautiously burying their hands in a sheep's wool, while their parents stayed close by to make sure everyone was playing nicely. It felt like a whole new world before him, one that was patient and kind, so alien but so <em>right</em>.     </p>
<p>He did this. He made it happen. Not alone - this wonderful place and all the good it was going to do was definitely a group effort - but it had been his brainchild. There were only three things in his life that he had ever done correctly: raise his brother, marry you, and now this. If those were the only things he was ever remembered for, he would die a very happy man. Not that he had any intention of doing that any time soon, of course.</p>
<p>With so many young children present, the party died down quite early in the evening, the youngest ones asleep in the living room while the adults sat around the yard, chatting and drinking beer. The animals had put themselves to bed in the barn, leaving Rus and Black to pack up the grill without their judgemental stares.</p>
<p>"i'm surprised you didn't invite dr. ricci." Rus teased.</p>
<p>"For the last time, we aren't dating!" Black insisted, sitting up on the paddock fence as he held the bin bag full of recycling "And I did, she was just busy!"</p>
<p>"sure, bro, whatever you say."</p>
<p>Black stuck his tongue out at his brother like the mature adult he was as Rus decided now was a good time for a break, taking his cigarettes from his pocket and leaning back against the fence.</p>
<p>"I thought you were quitting." Black pointed out.</p>
<p>"quit<em>ting</em>." he confirmed "it's a process. i'll get there."</p>
<p>Rus expected a lecture from his smaller brother, looking over when none came. Black had a thoughtful look on his face as he stared over the water, not seeing it at all.</p>
<p>"you good?" he asked.</p>
<p>Black hummed in reply, taking another moment before looking back at him.</p>
<p>"You'll get there." he knew "I have faith in you."</p>
<p>Rus... suddenly didn't want his cigarette anymore. He stubbed it out on the treated wooden fence, crossing his arms loosely as comfortable silence fell between them.</p>
<p>"This place is beautiful, Papyrus." Black said after a while "I'm so proud of you."</p>
<p>"hey, i don't want to hear that from my little brother." Rus teased, even though it made his entire soul sing "but... y'know, thanks. i think it'll be good for all of us... you've been a lot better lately."</p>
<p>"<em>I've</em> been better?" Black questioned, to which Rus just hummed.</p>
<p>It took Black a moment, but it finally dawned on him what his big brother was talking about. After a moment surprise, he sighed out of his nose and gave Rus a sceptical, but not altogether critical, look.</p>
<p>"You knew." he accused.</p>
<p>"i knew."</p>
<p>"Did somebody tell you?"</p>
<p>"yeah, you did." Rus reassured "i raised you since you were three years old, you think you have any secrets from me?"</p>
<p>Black let out a humourless laugh, not able to meet his eyes.</p>
<p>"You never called me on it." he pointed out.</p>
<p>"because i had faith in you." Rus told him "you always do the right thing, bro."</p>
<p>"I don't know about that." Black scoffed "But this time... this time, I had to get it right. I still have a lot of shit to work through, but Jennifer says I'm as close to 'cured' as I can hope to get."</p>
<p>"'jennifer'?"</p>
<p>"Dr Ricci... we aren't dating!" Black snapped at his brothers sly grin, making him burst out laughing "Oh my god, you're such an ass!"</p>
<p>"guilty as charged." Rus replied without remorse.</p>
<p>"Why am I cursed with a brother like you?!"</p>
<p>"i think you mean blessed, bro."</p>
<p>"Stupid mutt!"</p>
<p>"half pint."</p>
<p>"Wannabe pirate flag."</p>
<p>"glorified halloween decoration."</p>
<p>"I hope you bang your head on every door frame you cross for the rest of your life."</p>
<p>"i love you too, sans."</p>
<p>His brother finally looked at him, those bright purple lights flashing white for just a moment before he smiled. Any time he caught his brother lowering his guard, even for a second, was precious and important, and Rus filed the memory away to revisit the next time he had a bad day.</p>
<p>"Same." Black replied simply, before shuffling where he sat "Have you told...?"</p>
<p>"haven't said a word." Rus promised "don't be surprised if they figured it out on their own, though."</p>
<p>"Wouldn't put it past them." he sighed "But that's a problem for another day. Let's get this stuff in the bins before we attract bears."</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Despite how relaxed the party had been, you couldn't help but feel tired by the time the last guest left. Moving anywhere was tiring, but setting up a home business, getting all the animals comfortable in their new environment, was something else entirely.</p>
<p>You had faith in it, though. With Rus's devotion to the cause and the financial backing of the royal guard, you could make this place work. You still had your own job, of course: you worked too hard on your law degree not to use it. Luckily what used to be the hotels office was more than big enough for your needs, and your skeletons had even rigged up a motor to the heavy security door so you wouldn't have to struggle with it while keeping your legally sensitive files safe.</p>
<p>You took the time to make sure it was locked for the night, as you only needed to wake up to a floor full of shredded files once before you learned your lesson - exactly which of the girls it had been, you didn't know, but you suspected it was Ruby, as she liked to do naughty things and blame poor dumb Poppy for them. Every time you grabbed the wheels to propel yourself across the floor, your wedding ring would let out a clang where it met the chrome, but you'd been wearing the subtle piece of jewellery long enough that the sound had become white noise to you now, blending into the background like the hum of your computer or the playful barking of dogs.</p>
<p>You had to laugh when you saw Cole with his tail between his legs, Gidget bullying him with her yappy barks to take the smaller bed so she could have the big one. </p>
<p>"Gidget, that's mean." you scolded softly, but she just wagged her curly tail at you, completely unrepentant.</p>
<p>Cole thought it best to follow you into the kitchen where you found Black, already in his pyjamas, with The Illustrious Doom Slayer draped happily over his chest and shoulder like a living feather boa, purring and rubbing his face on his bones.</p>
<p>"How's the tea working for you?" you asked your brother-in-law "Does it actually help you sleep?"</p>
<p>"It tastes like garbage, but it seems to be doing the job." Black shrugged "I haven't woken up at 2am for a while now. Want some?"</p>
<p>"You just said it tastes like garbage." you chuckled.</p>
<p>"Misery loves company."</p>
<p>Lily let out a low growl, finally having spotted Cole, who as usual looked at the cat with hearts in his eyes.</p>
<p>"He doesn't love you back, baby, just accept it." you teased, scratching his ears.</p>
<p>"Rus already asleep?" Black asked.</p>
<p>"The second his head hit the pillow." you confirmed "I just came for a glass of water."</p>
<p>Black stepped aside to let you pass to the sink, the cat giving you both the stink eye.</p>
<p>"Have you told him about the exam?"</p>
<p>"Still haven't decided if I'm going to take it. I feel like I should learn to drive first."</p>
<p>"Well, it's up to you." Black sighed, giving Lily a scratch "But you'd make a great lawyer. You should take advantage while your work is willing to pay for it."</p>
<p>"Speaking of taking advantage," you recalled "Are you going to accept the captains invitation? A cruise on a luxury liner sounds like a good way to relax to me."</p>
<p>Black sighed again, heavier this time, as he poured the freshly boiled water into the waiting cup.</p>
<p>"Everyone's been telling me not to hold onto the hate." he told you "But I still don't know if I can forgive him for abandoning us as kids. Just because Rus <em>said</em> his feelings wouldn't be hurt, that doesn't mean they won't be, you know?... Sure you wouldn't want to come with?"</p>
<p>"Honestly, it sounds like hell." you confessed "Tight corridors, rolling waves, crowds at the buffet table, and without my husband to intimidate people in giving me some space? Nah, I'm good."</p>
<p>It was Black's turn to chuckle, giving his cat a thoughtful stroke.</p>
<p>"I guess neither of us have to decide anything tonight." he supposed "We did just move. No need to pile on too many changes at once."</p>
<p>"Amen to that."</p>
<p>Black gave you a smile, raising his mug of tea to your level.</p>
<p>"To tomorrow being another day." he toasted.</p>
<p>"And many more besides." you agreed, gently clacking your glass of water to his mug.</p>
<p>Black downed the whole thing, pulled a disgusted face, and threw the mug in the sink before turning to go upstairs to bed. You couldn't help but laugh.</p>
<p>Tomorrow was, indeed, another day.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And thus our story ends, not with a bang or a whimper, but with life going on, gently optimistic for the future.</p>
<p>This was a much smaller story than the others in this series, but not everything needs to be gun chases and car fights.</p>
<p>Wait...</p>
<p>But! I hope you enjoyed it anyway! For those of you enjoying this series, there's still The Burning Mountain to finish, and I've been considering giving Edge his own one-shot (despite saying this would be the last in the series...), and for anyone wanting something COMPLETELY different, please check out A Little Bit(ty) of Trouble.</p>
<p>Happy lockdown, stay safe out there!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've got too much spare time right now, I need something new to read. Anybody got any recommendations?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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